Past Undone
by moodified
Summary: Something wicked is brewing in Oz once again. Set after Elphaba's death. Both worlds. Eventually Gelphie.
1. Chapter 1

**Past Undone**

By

Moodified

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**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;)

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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**Chapter 1 – Grief**

Glinda opened the door that led to the stairs of Kiamo Ko's dungeons and had to take a deep breath to calm the sob that threatened to escape her mouth. It wasn't the first time she had come to this place since that awful night when Oz had been changed forever, and as every other single time she had come, she felt the exact same feeling, grief. There was no other word that could describe how she felt since that wretched night, the night that Elphaba had mel…she couldn't even think about what had happened to her friend, how she had died screaming in agony. Her grief was so deep that, on nights like this one, the only thing that could mollify her anguish was coming all the way to Kiamo Ko to feel closer to her, to feel that she wasn't completely alone in this world. In this damp and smelly place she felt, in a way, that Elphaba was still around, with her.

"Oh! You stupid green woman!" She screamed at no one. "You had to be the hero, didn't you? You couldn't have let it go and make the best of what you had, of course not, not Elphaba Thropp idealist extraordinaire. What a fool you always were!"

She was so angry with Elphaba that she was shaking with rage. Angry for not staying at Shiz with her, for leaving her that day on the carriage to go on a mad spree to save a kingdom that was not worth saving to begin with. She was royally pissed at her friend for getting killed. _For Ozma's sake! She was the damned Wicked Witch of the West; she should have been capable of defending herself against a silly bucket of water!_

But in truth, Glinda was angrier with herself than with anyone else. She admired Elphaba for what she had done. She was pissed, mind you, but she felt such pride in having known the Munchkin girl. To have been called _friend_ by Elphaba was the only thing in her life that made her feel proud. She didn't have many other reasons to feel good about herself.

If only she hadn't been such a coward and had fought alongside Elphaba when she had asked her to, maybe things would have ended in a different way. Maybe, the mean green thing would be standing next to her telling her to stop being so foolish and to stop feeling so bloody guilty. But guilt, grief and anguish were alright with Glinda, it was her punishment and she deserved it.

"I did love you, you know?" She said with her back to the stairs before closing the door to the dungeons. "You were the only real person in my life, and I miss you so."

Glinda closed the door behind her and left Kiamo Ko. She started walking through the deep forest with the moonlight as her only companion. She felt a little better, as every time she came here, but she knew it was a feeling that wouldn't last.

_To be Continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;)

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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**Chapter 2 – Regrets**

As every time that Glinda came to Kiamo Ko, Elphaba was left feeling empty and most certainly devastated. She knew it was the lesser of two evils, this decision she had come to, but it sure as hell didn't make it any easier for her.

She had never been afraid of taking chances, risking it was second nature to her. But she couldn't do it when it came to Glinda, she had made that mistake before, and look how good that had turned out. _I may as well have chopped his head off myself. _She thought with bitter resentment about the time she had shared with the Arjiki prince. She had been careless with Fiyero and hadn't really thought how deeply his life would be affected by her presence in it. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice, not with Glinda, not if it meant putting her friend's life in danger.

"Glinda." The name slipped softly past Elphaba's lips before she could censor herself, and many memories came rushing back.

Their friendship had been quite a surprise for Elphaba. Who would have thought the sullen and quite evidently green Munchkin girl and the spoiled Gillikinese would end up meaning so much to each other? But that was it, really. Glinda hadn't been just a spoiled rich girl and Elphaba hadn't been just a mean green thing, as Glinda used to call her. They had been fortunate enough to see underneath all that, and they had shared a friendship that had created many memories. Those memories were the only thing that kept Elphaba mildly sane, memories of a better time.

_A better time, just like the one this place has seen._ She thought.

Elphaba would never have described Kiamo Ko as a warm place, but nowadays, she wouldn't even be able to find a non derogatory term to refer to the state the castle was in. Liir had left with that Dorothy girl shortly after the bucket incident, and Nanny had died in her sleep a couple of days later. She missed them both, even if she would never say it out loud. Liir was better off without her. She knew she loved him in a way, but he reminded her of his father too much to bear the guilt. Maybe she should have told him, but now it was too late. He was definitely better off believing her to be dead, just as Glinda was.

And that's how the place had come to be deserted; only Elphaba and Chistery clung stubbornly to it. "It is just you and me, my old friend." She said to the Monkey. "And that's how it should be. Oz doesn't need another Wicked Witch."

Chistery looked at Elphaba with something akin to pity in his expression. She had pleaded with him to leave Kiamo Ko on endless occasions, but he knew where he belonged. She had saved his life, and she was the closest thing to a family he would ever have; plus, what was an Animal to do in Oz? At least he was safe in here, and Elphaba needed him. After Glinda's visits she would be left feeling more depressed and sour than any given day, and Chistery felt it was his responsibility to bring her back to her normal sullen self.

"Come now, Miss Elphaba." He patted her back awkwardly waiting for a rebuff that never came. This worried Chistery more than he could tell.

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between…

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_Thanks to al the people who have taken the time to read this story, and extra thanks to those who have reviewed it. I appreciate it!_

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**Chapter 3 – Unfortunate Events**

Glinda arrived unseen to her chamber early in the morning. Her palace, a beautiful and regal building inherited from his late husband Lord Chuffrey, was on the fancy part of the Emerald City, precisely the part of town that was almost constantly guarded by the Gale Force_. Just in case any of those 'undeserving' citizens has the stupid idea of setting foot on the premises. _She thought really hated this city and its government.

"As if any of those people would want anything to do with us, they hate us!" She huffed. "And with good reason."

Every day, she had to work harder in order not to draw attention to herself. The new Emperor of Oz, the one who had been elected after Glinda's short time in charge, didn't seem to be any better than the Wizard had been. She had preferred to step aside and concentrate on helping people in any way she could, leaving politics to those who had the heart for it. That's why she had to lay low. Her meddling in Animal affairs and her old friendship with Elphaba had made her gain more than her fair share of enemies in high places, thus becoming subject to a constant surveillance.

She was exhausted after her long trip. Even having travelled by Bubble it had taken her the better part of the night to make it back to the Emerald City. How people could endure travelling without a magic-propelled vehicle was still a mystery to her. She started to fill the bathtub while thinking about her last visit to the Vinkus; feeling very tired and emotionally drained, all Glinda wanted to do was relax in a warm bubble bath and sleep for a week, but it wasn't to be. When she was about to submerge in the inviting water, all hell broke loose at her front door.

"Miss Glinda!" Kiilt, her butler, was at her chamber doors in seconds. "Miss Glinda, please, they are going to knock down the door Miss, you must leave immediately!"

Glinda put on her robe and fastened the belt as quickly as she could while running to the door. "Who are they? What in Oz's name is going on?" She opened the door feeling quite annoyed; _someone better has a good excuse for interrupting my bath_.

Kiilt did his best to avert his eyes from his scantily clad mistress and blurted out. "The Gale Force, Miss Glinda!"

Even though she seemed calm and composed, Glinda's eyes couldn't hide the fear upon hearing the news. She knew perfectly well how the Gale Force worked. They didn't take chances, and if they needed to apprehend a sorceress they made damn sure said sorceress wouldn't be able to use her power.

She ran to her bedroom and rummaged through her drawers until she found what she was looking for. The racket at the front door was making her so nervous that the magic wand slipped to the floor two times before she could hold it properly, _thank goodness for Lord Chuffrey's love for ostentatious and very thick doors_. She began to chant while Kiilt watched from the doorway hoping against hope that her mistress would work her magic and get them out of there. But Glinda wasn't even halfway through the spell when she realized that it wasn't going to work. They, as she had suspected, had taken measures to stop her from using magic.

"Damnation!" She was shaking now; she had heard the stories about prisoners captured by the Gale Force. If only she had seen this coming she wouldn't have been unprepared, but she had been caught by surprise. She had thought herself so clever and stealthy, and they had known all along. But it didn't make sense, why did they want her now with such a hurry? Why would they…? Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door breaking down. Shouts were coming from downstairs. "Capture her, and…"

Kiilt was by her side in a heartbeat. "Miss Glinda, you must hide!" He was really frightened, but the boy knew his mistress needed him and abandoning her was not an option, the young butler knew that beneath the façade that Lady Glinda always showed in public there was a good person and he would help her in any way he could. "I'll lose them, Miss." He was trying so hard to be brave for her that Glinda couldn't help but smile.

"It's quite alright, Kiilt. We will face them together." She couldn't help but feel a bit surprised at her own words. Not that long ago, she would have fled the room at this opportunity. Thank Oz she wasn't that person anymore. "After all," she smiled at him and squeezed his hand lightly, "I'm Glinda Upland, of the Upper Uplands. They wouldn't dare be so disrespectatious with their host, am I right?" She let herself slip into her old persona trying to lighten the mood and calm Kiilt's nerves. She got half a smile in return.

They were getting closer to Glinda's chamber, she could hear them more clearly now. "…ind the book, that's our prime mission!" _The book! They aren't here just for me. They want the Grimmerie!_ She blanched, and all sense of calm left her.

"Come with me!" Glinda took the butler by his sleeve and hurriedly led him to the next room. She pressed a lever hidden behind an old bookcase and when it moved aside she opened the safe that had been concealed in the wall. "Listen carefully Kiilt, we don't have much time!" Glinda was frantic; the guards were almost there. She should have known, she should have thought this was going to happen! "You said you wanted to help me, right?" Kiilt had his face covered in cold sweat, fear was getting the best of him but he managed to nod dumbly.

Glinda thrust the Grimmerie into his hands and pushed him towards the window, she opened the balcony door and whispered to him. "You have to make sure they don't get this book, do you understand what I'm saying, Kiilt?" He nodded again; he didn't seem to be capable of doing much more at the moment.

"There's a castle in the Vinkus, it belonged to the Arjikis, the Castle of Kiamo Ko." Glinda swallowed hard when a fleeting memory of Elphaba crossed her mind, she shook her head and continued. "You must take the book there and hide it, it will be safe there." Glinda wasn't sure, but she didn't know what else to do.

"I think it will be safe there." Glinda's voice held such urgency that Kiilt didn't hesitate a second longer. He put the book inside his jacket and went into the balcony, turning around one last time to held Glinda's gaze.

"Don't worry Miss Glinda; I'll keep this book safe even if it costs me my life." Glinda handed him a small bag full of gold coins that she had recovered from the safe and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You are a good man Kiilt." His face reddened instantly and Glinda smiled one last time before turning around and closing the balcony doors behind her. "Ozspeed my friend." She hurried away from the balcony and not even a second later the guards came rushing into the room brandishing their spears and shouting at her.

"On your knees, Witch!"

_To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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_Extra-large update today! Four chapters in a row. The thing is, I just got Tori Amos' new album and that got me into a sharing kind of mood :P_

_As always, thanks for reading and special thanks to the kind reviewers! Enjoy._

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**Chapter 4 – Decisions**

Kiilt was still recovering from his blushing spell when he heard the soldiers shouting inside the room. He fought the panic paralyzing him and climbed over the railing, letting himself hang off the sill so the guards wouldn't see him.

He was out of sight, but he could still hear quite clearly what was going on inside. Miss Glinda was being her usual authoritarian self and even though he had seen how frightened the blonde woman had been a minute ago, she wasn't letting any of that fear show in front of the guards. She was demanding to see The Emperor at once, this was no way to treat a Lady, the Lady who had been governing over Oz not that long ago at that. Kiilt couldn't help but smile at Glinda's words; she always knew how to sell herself, that was for sure.

The butler tried to sharpen his ears to understand what one of the guards was saying to Miss Glinda, but he could only catch the last part.

"…to mind your mouth, Witch!". And at that moment Kiilt's blood run cold, because he couldn't see, but he distinctly heard Miss Glinda scream in terror and a loud thump afterwards.

He prayed to the Unnamed God to keep her Mistress safe, because, even though he wanted to go inside and make sure of it himself, he knew his mission was too important for the blonde woman, Kiilt had seen it in her eyes, and he wasn't going to fail her. So he waited, Oz knows for how long, hanging from the sill with tears in his eyes, until he was sure the Gale Force had left the Chuffrey's Palace. When he went inside the room he could barely feel his arms, but that numbness was nothing compared to what he felt when he saw the pool of blood drying in the middle of the empty room's floor.

"Oh, Miss Glinda." Kiilt was overwhelmed and had to fight back the tears threatening to fall once again, but he collected himself, he had made a promise and he was going to keep it.

The room was a complete mess, as was the rest of the Palace. The soldiers had made sure every single room was thoroughly searched. Fortunately for him, they didn't have had the sense of looking outside the window.

He went from room to room until he got to the kitchen, and what he saw there made his heart ache. All the staff that had worked for Miss Glinda had been gathered in the kitchen, and every single one of them had had their throats slit.

Kiilt couldn't help himself and emptied his stomach on the kitchen floor. Apparently, the Gale Force didn't want witnesses of what had happened there that early morning. He tried to calm his nerves and took a moment to think about what to do now; surely they would be back to clean this mess sooner or later, so he shouldn't delay his departure from the Emerald City any longer.

"Kiamo Ko." He said, remembering Miss Glinda's words. She wanted him to take the book to that castle, and that was what Kiilt was going to do.

The young man spared a few prayers for the souls of the people who had worked with him for the past two years and left the Palace through the service door. He walked down the street trying not to draw attention to himself.

_To be continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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**Chapter 5 – Captive**

"Do you reckon she's dead?" Asked a voluptuous red-haired woman while looking worriedly over Glinda's body. A young woman with short brown hair rose up from her sitting position on the opposite wall and walked towards the middle of the cell where Glinda was sprawled over the floor.

"How would I know?" She answered kneeling beside the blonde woman. "Stop asking the same question every time the poor woman moves." She tentatively felt for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief upon finding one. "She's not dead." She said looking over at the redhead. "But I think it's only a matter of time, Mali." She checked Glinda's temperature for what felt like the umpteenth time this week and dampened another rag, putting it over the blonde's forehead.

"Don't say that, Lea." She helped the younger woman dampen more rags and changed the one that Lea had put on Glinda when she checked that it wasn't doing its job anymore. "She's young, I'm sure she will get through this."

"No, she won't." Lea rested her back against the wall while keeping her eyes on the sick woman. "Not without a doctor to look after her injuries."

She shook her head sadly and tried to explain it to Mali. "She is running a high fever, the swelling on her head hasn't gone down, and to make things worse, I think that gash on her forehead is infected. " She went to sit beside the redhead. "I've seen this before while working with Doctor Lampert, this kind of injury to the head needs to be cared for in a hospital. They've just left her here to die."

It had been almost six days since two soldiers had come barging into the dungeons carrying Glinda. The men had locked the unconscious blonde in their cell and had told them not to get too attached to the new prisoner.

'_The only reason why she's not dead yet is because The Emperor thinks she can still be of use to him.'_ They had said. Soon, she wouldn't be of much use to anyone, thought Lea bitterly.

Mali was saddened by her cellmate's words. "But she has woken up a couple of times, that has to mean she's getting better, right?" She looked at Lea with hopeful eyes; she hated to see such a young woman's life fade away.

"That only means she's fighting, Mal." She placed a comforting hand on the older woman shoulder. "Let's just hope she is strong enough, ok?"

Glinda stirred in her delirious state and let out a heartbreaking scream; the damp cloth fell from her face. "Elphie?" She sobbed out in her fevered sleep. The two cellmates looked at the weak body astounded, it was the first word out of the blonde's lips in almost a week.

"Did she ask for something?" Lea asked, not sure of what she had heard.

"I think she was asking for someone." The red-haired woman answered sadly while dampening another rag and tenderly putting it on Glinda's forehead. "It's going to be alright little one." She said stroking her blonde hair. "Just hang in there."

Glinda's eyes shot open briefly and her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears. "Don't...leave me...?" She cried softly.

Lea took Glinda's hand in her own and spoke to her in a soothing voice. "Don't worry Miss." She gave a gentle squeeze to the hand she was holding. "We won't leave you."

And Glinda surrendered to unconsciousness once more. Mali kept stroking Glinda's hair and looked at Lea with sorrowful eyes. "I don't think she was talking to us, dear."

The younger woman nodded in agreement and regarded Glinda with a speculative look that didn't go unnoticed by Mali.

"What is it?" The redhead asked.

"Nothing, it's just," Lea hesitated before continuing, "doesn't she look familiar to you?"

Mali tilted her head and took a closer look at Glinda. "Now that you mention it, her face does seem to ring a bell."

Lea nodded again, she stood and started pacing up and down the cell biting her fingernails nervously; the older woman remained by Glinda's side tending to her, just in case the blonde woke up again.

"If they have done this to 'her', what are they going to do with us?" Lea's concerned voice made the redhead look up.

"What do you mean by 'her'?" She asked perplexed. "Do you know who she is?"

The brown-haired girl went to sit by them. "At first, I just thought she looked familiar, but when I saw her blue eyes it kind of hit me." She said tucking a blonde strand of hair behind Glinda's ear so they could see her face more clearly. "I think this is Lady Glinda."

Mali gasped in surprise and then whispered to her cellmate. "Lady Glinda?" Lea nodded. "As in Glinda the Good?" Lea assented again. "As in the good Witch?" Lea caught herself before nodding a third time; she was starting to get annoyed.

"Yes, yes and yes Mali, and that's what bothers me. If they have done this to a person of such influence in Oz." She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "Well, we are just two insignificant citizens."

Their conversation was cut short when the door leading to the north dungeons of Southstairs was suddenly opened and the sound of quick footsteps could be heard approaching. They clung to each other while trying to maintain a protective stance over Glinda's unconscious body.

_To be continued..._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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**Chapter 6 – Suffering**

Glinda's head was pounding as if all of Oz had taken residence up there, she could barely open her eyes and her limbs didn't appear to be responding to her constant efforts to move them, since she still seemed to be lying on what she guessed was a stone floor. She wasn't completely sure if she was awake or trapped in some sort of nightmare, her mind was a bit foggy and feeling definitely nauseous.

She tried to sit up once more, and when she was starting to congratulate herself, the room started spinning so fast that she fell to the ground again.

"Do you reckon she's dead?" That's the last thing she heard before unconsciousness overtook her.

When Glinda finally came to, she was still lying on a cold stone floor, but somehow it didn't feel the same. This place looked familiar to her; it felt like she had been here before. She tried to get up and surprisingly enough she managed without much effort.

"Well, that's different." She said while testing if all her limbs were working properly. "Not that I'm complaining, of course, anything is better than that splitting headache."

She looked distractedly at her outfit. "Or the nausea, let's not forget about the nausea."

She was still examining the ball gown she was wearing when it hit her. Of course this place was familiar, and she knew she had worn this dress before. But it couldn't be! She started looking around, frantically taking in all that surrounded her, and suddenly Elphaba was there, and Glinda almost screamed with joy. But she didn't, because there was also a girl in there, and Glinda saw the bucket she was carrying; she tried to run and stop her but she couldn't move, her feet didn't respond and she fell on her knees crying helplessly as she saw her worst nightmare re-enacted just for her.

This couldn't be happening, not again! Oh, please not again! She tried to crawl but to no avail, and she looked up just in time to see Elphaba disappear before her eyes, Glinda's scream was heartbreaking. She tried to get closer to where her friend had been just a mere second ago, and this time she managed to move her legs to the now empty spot; she was alone again, no bucket, no Dorothy, and most certainly no Elphaba. She picked up from the floor the only thing that remained in the room, Elphaba's black hat, and she held it tightly to herself.

"Elphie?" She sobbed out her friend's name. "Please don't leave me? Not again, please?"

Glinda was crying so hard that tears clouded her eyes. Her head started spinning and suddenly the unbearable pain and the nausea were back, and she wasn't at Kiamo Ko anymore. She felt someone squeezing her hand, and she heard kind voices telling her to hang on, telling her she wasn't alone. Glinda's mind just slipped into darkness again.

_To be continued..._


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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**Chapter 7 – Strangers**

The walls of Kiamo Ko seemed specially oppressive this evening. A nasty storm was brewing and Elphaba and Chistery were trying to salvage as many things as they could before the worst of the storm arrived.

Elphaba had been in an awful mood for the past week, and that was fine with Chistery, an awful mood was always better than a depressive mood when it came to Miss Elphaba. The Monkey couldn't help himself any longer and had to ask, once again, the question he knew would make his mistress mad at him for days. He approached the Witch carefully and cleared his throat before speaking; it was always the most difficult part for him, the first words, no matter how many years have passed since Elphaba had taught him to speak.

"Mi…Miss Elph…Elphaba?" The sound of Chistery's voice broke Elphaba's reverie.

" Hmmm?" She didn't even raise her head to address the Monkey.

"Mi…Miss." Chistery began again.

"Out with it already! You can't keep stammering your whole life!" Elphaba's glare softened when she saw the hurt expression on his loyal friend. "I'm sorry Chistery; I don't know what has gotten into me."

She stood from the corner where she had been piling up some books to get them out of harm ways and went to sit by Chistery. "It's just that I've been having this weird feeling for the past week, I don't know." Chistery could see how out of sorts Elphaba was feeling, which was unsettling considering how composed the Witch always seemed. "I feel restless, like something important is going on and I should be doing something about it."

The Monkey took a deep breath and decided to say what he had been thinking for a long time. "Perhaps," he started tentatively observing her reaction.

"Yes?" Elphaba looked like she really wanted to know what the Monkey had to say, and that gave him the courage to speak up.

"Perhaps, Miss Elphaba," he swallowed hard, "if you considered one more time the possibility of telling Miss Gli…"

"Enough!" The look Elphaba directed at him was more effective in shutting him up than her shout had been. "I've told you many times before." She was talking through clenched teeth now. "That matter is not up for discussion. Not now, not ever!"

She rose from the floor and started walking to the stairs and just when she was about to cross the threshold she spoke one last time in a cold voice that sent chills up Chistery's spine. "And if you ever think of telling her that I'm still alive, I swear to you that I'll rip off those wings of yours with my bare hands." Elphaba left, slamming the door behind her. Chistery believed her words, and that's why he chose to remain silent.

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Elphaba was fuming. She was walking in her room from one end to the other cursing the little Monkey; her footsteps starting to leave a trail on the worn rug.

She knew she was overreacting, but Chistery knew that Glinda was an off limits topic. She had explained her reasons to the Monkey, not that she had to explain herself to anyone, mind you, but she had felt she owed it to Chistery. He deserved to know why she was doing what she was doing. _Right! And why am I doing this, again?_ She wondered.

"To keep her safe, you idiot! You know that, we've been through this before." She was starting to get tired with all the walking so she slumped in her leather armchair, the only halfway decent piece of furniture in her room. "This is just wonderful, now I'm talking to myself."

She dropped her head on to her clasped hands and tried to recover some semblance of calm. She knew she should go and apologize to Chistery, but she was still mad at the meddling Monkey. "Let him fret a little longer."

Almost a year ago, when she had come to the conclusion that dying was the only way to end all the trouble she had created around the people she loved, she hadn't realised how difficult it would be for her to stay away from them. She had always been a loner, so she thought it wouldn't be that different once she was forced to be one. But it was one thing to be a loner by choice and another to be one out of necessity.

In the past, even though she had removed herself from the lives of those people, she had known that whenever she chose to she could put an end to it.

"Now it's permanent." She took a deep breath and stood, carefully smoothing the creases from her black dress. "It's done, and it's for the better."

She went in search of Chistery. She didn't know what to tell him; after all, some part of her had meant every word that she had said to the Monkey. When she was coming down the stairs she heard the distinctive sound of the front door trying to be pushed open. A second later, Chistery was at the foot of the stairs looking at her mistress with concern. It wasn't usual for Glinda to come back so soon after her last visit, and even less usual it was for her to come when it was still light outside.

"Hide yourself!" Elphaba whispered the words in Chistery's ear and both of them hastened to a hiding-place.

Elphaba reached a velvet curtain that was hanging askew from one of the walls and got behind it just before the front door burst open. Chistery had managed to get on top of a cabinet down the hall where he was doing his best impersonation of a statue.

_This is most inconvenient_, Elphaba thought; _no one wanders around these parts anymore, and to have been caught unprepared is certainly worrisome_. She had become careless after almost a year of no visitors, only Glinda dared to come to Kiamo Ko, and Elphaba was always prepared for those occasions because she could always feel Glinda's presence long before the blonde Witch set foot in the castle.

A young man stuck his brunette head in the hall, and a second later carefully entered the castle. He was visibly shaken and neither Elphaba nor Chistery could blame him. After all, the place had the exact same appearance a haunted castle gotten out of a scary book would have, Wicked Witch and all.

Kiilt started walking through the hall and carefully watched where he was going; this place was giving him all kinds of bad feelings. He just wanted to hide the book and get out of there as soon as possible; he needed to make sure Miss Glinda was alright. He got the book out of his bag and proceeded through the corridor passing right in front of the curtain that was hiding Elphaba from his view. He didn't know what hit him, he only saw a black blur and a second later he was up against a wall and a hand was squeezing his neck so hard that he was about to pass out.

"Where did you find that book?" The rasping whisper in his ear scared him so much that he considered passing out as a good option.

"C..n't br..th." He tried to say, but Elphaba didn't release her hold on the man's neck.

"Where...did you find…that book?" She squeezed a little tighter with each word, and Kiilt started to really fear for his life. It was in that moment that he fleetingly saw the green hand holding him up, so even if he could barely stay conscious he knew he had to say the name and he managed to croak it out.

"Gli...n...da." And upon hearing that name, Elphaba's hand instantly released its prey and she took a step back. Kiilt slid down the wall to the floor, where he tried to get some air into his deprived lungs.

_To be continued..._

___(Thanks for reading, and please, don't hesitate in letting me know what you think!)_  



	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

* * *

_Thanks again to all the people who have read the story, and especially to those who have reviewed it, you are very kind. It means a lot to read that my story brightens a little bit more someone else's day, so I'm happy for that. Thank you all, and I hope you enjoy the two new chapters!

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_

**Chapter 8 – A Helping Hand**

Mali and Lea were huddled in their cell with their eyes fixed on the wooden door that led to the long corridor outside. The sound of footsteps was getting closer and closer, and suddenly, their door was pushed open and a uniformed young man stepped into the light. Both women tried to look brave in front of the soldier, their chins stuck out defiantly.

"If you want her, you will have to go through us first." Said Lea with a trembling voice.

"Haven't you done enough damage?" Mali's voice sounded just as frightened, but she didn't let the fear stop her. "What has this poor woman done to you people anyway?"

The soldier didn't move from where he was standing, he was trying to take a look at the blonde sprawled behind the crouching figures of the two women.

"How is she faring?" He asked, not averting his eyes from Glinda's motionless body.

Mali just lost it. "How is she faring?...of all the nerve!" She tried to calm herself when she felt Lea's hand gripping her arm, preventing her from pouncing on the soldier. "Well, how do you think she's faring after you split her head open, Master Soldier?"

The young man took a step back and raised his hands as to defend himself against the furious tone of the redheaded woman's voice.

"No, you don't understand." He shook his head and went to close the door he had left open a minute ago. "I didn't do this to her, she's," he looked into the corridor to make sure that they were alone and then closed the door behind him, "she's a friend."

At the dubious look of both cellmates he elaborated. "A friend of the family." And after those words they seemed to relax slightly, but neither of them moved from their positions in front of Glinda's body.

"I'm Liir." He said, bowing to them. "I know this may seem confusing to you," he took a step closer and looked both women in the eyes, "but I really am here to help."

Mali was still looking reservedly at him, but Lea felt it was safe to ease the grip on the older woman's arm.

"So how are you planning on helping her?" Lea addressed the soldier who, she now realized, couldn't be more than sixteen years old. "What she needs is a doctor, and you don't look like a doctor to me."

Liir kept his distance from the two cellmates and the unconscious woman, he could feel they didn't trust him yet, and he didn't want them to get any warier of him than they already seemed to be.

"Of course I'm not a doctor, but," Liir extricated an old looking leather bag from inside his jacket and extended it to Lea, "I went to an apothecary's shop before coming down here. The man said that this may help."

The younger woman still seemed reluctant though. "If you weren't one of the soldiers who hurt her, then, how did you know where to find her?" She was watching closely Liir's reaction to her questions. "I mean, surely the attack on Lady Glinda isn't public knowledge in Oz."

Mali chose that moment to chip in. "That's right! And how did you know she needed medical attention? No guards have been down here since the day they brought her in, the jailer is the only one that comes to the cells."

Liir sighed a bit exasperated. "I knew where to find her because I met a man in a tavern who knew she was in here. I was asking around in order to find a way to Southstairs." The boy was lost in thought for a few seconds, as if he was remembering something. But he recovered his composure shortly after and continued with his story.

"You see, I was looking for a friend of mine that I thought might be locked in this prison. And coincidentally," he emphasized the word, "this fellow I was talking to knew that Lady Glinda had been brought to this place a couple of days ago, and he felt like sharing that bit of information with me."

He took a deep breath before continuing with his defensive speech. "And before you ask, he got the information from the Under-mayor Chyde himself." He walked a little bit towards the prisoners and once more looked into their eyes so they could see he was telling the truth.

"And to answer your other question, one of the men from my unit got completely wasted last night, and he couldn't stop bragging about how he had knocked the living daylights out of Lady Glinda." Liir extended the bag to Lea once more. "The bastard also said he was sure the little Witch wouldn't wake up after a blow to the head like that. Hence, my logical conclusion about her needing this medicines"

Lea finally acquiesced and took the leather bag from Liir. She took some ointments and pills from it and looked at Liir for directions. The young man smiled and sat on the floor beside them.

"I didn't really know what was wrong with her, so I just asked for a bit of everything." He looked at Glinda, and then at Mali. "How is she really doing?"

Mali just shrugged her shoulders in defeat while Lea started cleaning Glinda's wound. The blonde woman stirred and groaned in pain, and Mali took Glinda hand in her own trying to soothe her. Then, she spoke to Liir.

"Dear, would you mind holding her still so Lea can clean that awful cut?" Liir nodded and tried to restrain Glinda's movements as gently as he could. Just then, the Witch half-opened her fevered eyes and saw long silky black hair just before them, and even though she was in pain, she managed a rueful smile.

"You didn't leave." She whispered happily. Liir raised his face to look at Glinda's, but she had passed out again, with a tear flowing down her cheek.

"Don't worry." Lea told him. "She wasn't talking to you." She carefully rubbed some ointment on Glinda's wound. "She keeps calling out for some Ilphii or something like that, the poor thing." The prisoners didn't catch the stunned look on Liir's face and the three of them kept working in silence. When Glinda had been completely taken care of, they sat on the other side of the cell so they wouldn't disturb her rest with their conversation.

"How do you know her?" Mali was the one to break the ice.

Liir started fidgeting under the redhead's stare. "I don't really know her, I…know of her." Liir answered, but the stare was still going on, full force. "I just saw her once, ok? When she went to visit my mot…" Liir didn't finish the sentence. "Look, I've just told you; she's a friend of the family."

Both women could sense how uncomfortable the conversation was making Liir, so Lea changed the line of questioning. "Why did you come here to help her?" And to that, the boy answered without giving it much thought.

"She was important to someone I knew. Not like me." He bitterly whispered the last part.

All of a sudden, the door burst open and Liir and the two women almost jumped out of their skins. "Liir, my boy," a handsome man in her mid twenties entered the cell, "it's time to get going."

Liir stood from the floor and dusted his trousers. "This is Shell," he said to the still frightened women, "the man I told you about." He was met with the blank stares of the two cellmates. "The one who told me were to find Lady Glinda?" And at that bit of information both women nodded their recognition, but still seemed wary of the newcomer.

Shell went deeper into the cell and took a closer look at Glinda's blanched face. "I didn't know she was hurt. Oz! I can barely recognize her." He glared at Liir. "You didn't tell me she was hurt."

The boy just shrugged his shoulders at Shell's words. "I didn't thought that you would care, you didn't seem too intent on helping her out of here."

Shell went to face the younger man. "There was nothing I could do about that! But I could have helped with this situation." He muttered.

"Well, I already took care of this situation." Liir retorted and Mali interrupted the staring match taking place in front of them before things escalated.

"Do you know the Lady?" She directed the question at Shell, who nodded.

"He was a friend of my sister, I met her when I was younger." Shell shook his head and grasped Liir's arm dragging him to the door. "Anyway, you and I must get going. Chyde is starting to get suspicious." He turned around before crossing the threshold and said. "Ladies, it's been a pleasure." And with that he pushed the boy out of the cell and closed the door behind them. "By the way," he said addressing Liir, "your friend isn't here, not anymore." He started walking briskly towards the exit.

Liir followed after him with something nagging at the back of his mind. "Who's your sister?" He asked before he could stop himself, and Shell let out a bitter laugh.

"My sister, Liir, my boy, was a Wicked Witch."

_To be continued..._


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Visions**

Elphaba took a step back from the struggling young man, but she didn't take her eyes off him. The fact that he had gotten The Grimmerie from Glinda didn't mean he was to be trusted, maybe he had stolen it from her, or even…no, she decided to get some answers before getting to hasty conclusions.

"Explain." She said to Kiilt, who was still lying on the floor. "And be thorough." Elphaba advised him.

Kiilt rested against the wall behind him trying to regain his bearings; he still didn't trust his legs to hold him in a standing position. He couldn't believe it; he was looking at the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. Well, not looking at her, because the woman scared him silly. Still, there she was, very much alive!

"I'm waiting, boy." Elphaba crossed her arms and glared at Kiilt. He cleared his throat and tried to speak, but his sore throat made him start coughing until he turned purple. "Oh, for the love of Oz!" Elphaba cursed and turned to Chistery, the Monkey had come out of his hiding place as soon as he had heard the commotion in the hall. "Would you mind fetching a glass of water for Master…" She turned inquisitive eyes to the boy.

"Kiilt." He managed to croak out in the middle of his coughing fit.

"For Master Kiilt?" She finished.

The Monkey went to do his mistress' bidding, and Elphaba picked up The Grimmerie from the floor where it had fallen during her attack on the young man. She looked through the pages absentmindedly; she had thought she would never see the book again, and here it was in her hands, not even a year later. It almost seemed as if her past didn't want to let her go.

Chistery returned carrying a jug of water and some glasses. He handed one to a coughing Kiilt who took it gratefully. A couple of minutes and three glasses of water later, Kiilt felt capable of standing, and relating to his audience what had happened back in The Emerald City.

"I've brought The Grimmerie here because Miss Glinda asked me to," he began, "she didn't know what else to do. And for some reason she thought it would be safe here."

"Safe, you say. From whom?" Elphaba interrupted Kiilt. "And what's more important," something didn't seem right to Elphaba, "why didn't she bring it herself?"

Kiilt gulped nervously, but he managed to continue with his story. "She was captured." He saw Elphaba squinting her eyes at him; this wasn't going well at all. "A week ago, in her residence." Guilt was still eating him alive for leaving Glinda behind, even if he knew it was what the blonde woman had wanted him to do. But now, now…that was it! "But everything will be alright now! Because now you can help her!" Kiilt put his fears aside and went to Elphaba who recoiled from him. "You were her friend, weren't you? I know you were, she often talks about you, and she needs you." He whispered the last part. "When I left, she was…"

Elphaba stared him down and spoke calmly, too calmly for Kiilt's liking. "When you left, she was…what? And who has captured her?" She took a step closer to him, and this time it was Kiilt's turn to recoil from the Witch. "So far, you haven't given me any explanations, and your words have only managed to make me doubt you all the more." She was almost face to face with the butler. "How do I know that you are not lying to me?"

Kiilt's momentary bravery dissipated, and he started shaking. Maybe he had made a mistake and this woman wasn't who her mistress had believed her to be. But he didn't want that to be true, it couldn't be! So he took a chance, and spoke from his heart.

"If I was lying, which I'm not, I wouldn't have known that you two were friends, as all of Oz believes that Miss Glinda was an active participant during your hunt. And frankly, I don't care if you believe me or not, as long as you go and help her." He swallowed hard. "She was hurt before I left." He could see Elphaba's stoic façade break a little at his last words. "One of the Emperor's guards hit her, and I don't know what has become of her since then. I've been travelling for a week to get that book here." Kiilt was exhausted; he just wanted to fix what had happened. "That's what she wanted, to keep the book safe."

Elphaba was left speechless, she was just inches away from Kiilt's resolved face, and she could almost see the truth of his words in his eyes; it had been a while since someone had talked to her in such a way. What if what this boy was telling her was true? She started pacing while pondering the options in her head. If what she had heard was true, she needed to leave immediately. If Glinda was in trouble…still, if it was a lie, she would be out in the open, and everyone would know that the Wicked Witch was still alive. All this sacrifice would have been for nothing. She needed to be sure, but how? She stopped suddenly, an idea forming in her mind_, I had almost forgotten about that old thing_.

Elphaba went running up the stairs leaving a dumbstruck Kiilt behind. "Does that mean that she believes me?" He asked a perplexed Chistery who could only shrug his shoulders. They looked at each other not knowing what had gotten into the Witch and followed her upstairs. When they arrived to the Witch's chamber they found her kneeling on the floor, rummaging through the contents of an old looking chest.

"Miss Elphaba?" Chistery called to her from the doorway, not wanting to intrude.

"Here it is." She stood, and motioned Chistery and Kiilt inside the room. "I knew I hadn't thrown it away."

Kiilt saw Elphaba set a round piece of crystal in the middle of a small table by the window. "Is that…?" Kiilt pointed at the object quizzically and then looked at Elphaba.

"A crystal ball?" She quipped. "Yes, Master Kiilt. So if you were lying," she said, warning the butler, "now would be the time to run."

Kiilt held his head high. "I wasn't lying."

She spared one last look at Kiilt's open face. "We'll see." And with that, she sat at the table and put her hands over the crystal ball. She closed her eyes and whispered something in a language that neither Kiilt nor Chistery could understand. The room went dark and the once transparent object started to cloud over, as if it was full of mist. Elphaba took her hands away from the ball's surface, and little by little the mist started to give way to a perfectly clear image, the image of a blonde woman's suffering; they could see clearly the figure of Glinda tossing and turning in a fevered state.

Elphaba stood with such force that the chair was knocked over behind her, startling the other two occupants of the room. She stretched her trembling fingertips and lightly touched the image displaying on the crystal.

"Oh, Glinda, you little idiot." She whispered. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

She hesitated for a second, but finally removed her hand from the crystal's surface and the ball turned transparent once again. She looked at Kiilt with a worried expression. "You weren't lying Master Kiilt, I apologize."

Kiilt just nodded vaguely, he was horrified by the images they had just seen. Elphaba went to her wardrobe and took a couple of items from inside, laying them on the bed; she stopped for a second to collect herself and then spoke again.

"You said the Gale Force did this to her?" Kiilt nodded again. "And they were looking for The Grimmerie, is that right?"

The butler shook his head to remove the sad images from his mind, and then spoke. "That's what Miss Glinda thought, that's why she sent me here, to hide it." She gave him a curt nod of understanding. Chistery chose that moment to leave the room unnoticed.

Elphaba took the garments she had gotten from the wardrobe and put them on; the long black cape covered her whole figure from head to toe and she donned a pair of black leather gloves to hide her green skin completely. She left the room and went downstairs in a hurry, Kiilt following right behind her.

"What can I do to help?" He asked anxiously while running after her, Elphaba stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to him.

"You keep The Grimmerie safe." She said gravely. "If they have gone as far as to a attack Lady Glinda," her voice shook with rage, "they will stop at nothing to get to it, but that book must never get into those people hands."

Kiilt felt the seriousness of the situation hit him out of the blue; Miss Glinda being captured, her injuries, the dangers that Elphaba was going to face in order to help his mistress, the threat that The Grimmerie falling into enemy hands represented, and all of a sudden he couldn't breathe. He was about to pass out when he felt a sharp pain on his cheek.

"Snap out of it!" He didn't know if it was the slap or the harsh words, but air seemed to be going back into his lungs; Elphaba was regarding him with mild annoyance.

"I'm sorry." He said embarrassed. "I don't know what came over me."

Elphaba took pity on the young man. "I understand that it's a lot to process, but you have to keep a clear head if you really want to help." Kiilt nodded and smiled gratefully at the green woman.

"I'll keep the book safe. I won't disappoint you, or Miss Glinda." Elphaba didn't know what to do with the look of admiration on Kiilt's face, so she just turned around and went towards the main doors.

"Miss Elphaba," Chistery appeared behind the raven-haired woman, holding an old looking broomstick in his hands, "I think this may be of help on your journey." She took the broom from Chistery's outstretched hand and gave him a small smile, trying to convey through it all the gratitude she felt for all the years the Monkey had stood by her side.

Elphaba couldn't help but feel the irony of the moment; seeing herself standing tall in her black garments and with her old broom firmly held in her hand. She cackled and said to her two companions. "Looks like The Wicked Witch is no longer dead." And with that, she opened the doors and disappeared into the night.

_To be continued…_

_Ding Dong! The Witch is back! Please, let me know what you think, even if it is to share that you're utterly bored with the story. That will also help to improve it :P_

_Thanks again for reading!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

* * *

_Sorry for the delay, but it has been a busy week. In compensation for my tardiness this is a double update, chapters 10 and 11 are now uploaded._

_As always, thanks to all the readers, and especially to the kind reviewers who keep following the story, you know who you are ;). It always brings a smile to my face when I see that someone has left a comment, so thank you for that!_

_I hope you enjoy.

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_

**Chapter 10 – A Dangerous Meeting**

Captain Taldin wasn't having his best day. In fact, he wasn't even having his best week, not by a long shot. It had been precisely a week ago that he had been sent to the Chuffrey's Palace in order to arrest Lady Glinda Chuffrey, question her and get a hold of some old book she was supposed to be guarding. But it hadn't worked out like that, and everything had gone downhill for him since then.

_You can't expect much better when you send little boys to do a man's job_. He mused while downing his beer in one gulp. This would have been so much easier if that stupid soldier hadn't lost his marbles; they would have questioned her and they would have gotten the book without causing a commotion. Now, because the boy had wanted to prove his manliness to his comrades, their only lead to find The Grimmerie was dying in a cell at Southstairs, and she was absolutely useless to them.

To make things even worse, The Emperor was getting anxious, and so Taldin had been summoned to The Palace to brief His Highness on the progress they had made. _Progress_, he thought laughing bitterly. He stood and readied himself for his meeting with Oz's highest authority; he could already feel a headache coming on.

When the Captain entered the meeting hall at the Emperor's Palace, the first thing he noticed was that the armchair where the man was sitting was turned facing the chimney opposite the door. _This is just great_, the Captain thought, _the bastard is in a contemplative mood_. It never bode well for anyone when His Highness got into such a state; he was looking at the flames consuming the logs on the fireplace that warmed the room.

"Welcome Captain." The Emperor didn't even have the courtesy of facing Taldin. "How nice of you to come."

"Good evening, Your Highness." Taldin tried hard not to choke on the title. "How may I serve you today?"

"Tell me, Captain," The Emperor answered in a cold and calculated voice, drawling his words, "how is it that, after more than a week since I gave you your orders, not only haven't you found the book you were supposed to find, but also, our only real lead lies in a cell with no hope of recovery?" The pace of his words had been constant, but each one was uttered with more venom and force than the previous one.

Taldin swallowed hard, in an effort to hide from his answer the utter dislike he felt for the man. "It is very difficult to draw information out of an unconscious and severely concussed woman, Your Highness." As always, The Emperor was trying to blame his mistakes on someone else. "And considering how my Emperor didn't see fit to bring her here or to a hospital so her injuries could be taken care of…well, I don't see how I can be blamed for that part of our current situation, Your Ozness."

He had tried to get Lady Glinda medical help after that thick headed soldier had attacked her, if only for the benefit of the investigation, but the Emperor had refused. It was almost as if he was getting some sort of pleasure out of the fact that the woman was dying slowly and painfully in a cell, somewhere in the city bellow them.

"However," Taldin continued, "we do have some news, Sir. We know for a fact that someone left the Chuffrey's Palace alive that morning. We believe The Grimmerie could be in that person's hands."

The Emperor still didn't rise from his chair; he was gazing into the flames, thinking. "How come you believe that someone left the Palace alive, Captain?" He didn't sound pleased. "I thought I had given you direct orders not to leave witnesses behind." He was angry, Taldin could tell just by the tone of his voice.

"And we did carry out your orders, my Emperor, but," Captain Taldin didn't like one bit giving this bastard the opportunity to throw in his face some mistake, but he kept talking anyway, "it seems that either someone came in after we left, or someone was hiding very well while we were searching the Palace. The fact is that, we found some vomit in the kitchen floor when we went back there to clean up everything." He knew they hadn't been as thorough as they should have been, and now this person was probably hiding the book from them and causing the Captain an awful lot of trouble.

The Emperor's interest seemed piqued once again. "And, do we know who this person might be?" He was happy about this development; Taldin didn't need to see his face to see the wheels turning inside his head.

"Yes Sir, a young butler; the name is Kiilt Qadlig," the Captain informed The Emperor, "he is the only one missing from the staff."

"I see." The Emperor finally stood from his sit and walked to the fire. "Very well, then." He said. "Make sure you capture him, Captain. And while you are at it, make sure you do recover The Grimmerie from Master Qadlig's hands, will you?" The way in which he said the words left no doubt in Taldin's head about what the future held in store for the butler; he was to be killed, just as everyone else that knew too much about the Emperor's plan. The Captain couldn't help but wonder when it will be his turn.

"Of course Your Ozness." Taldin straightened up upon receiving his new assignment.

"Alright then, that will be all Captain." He dismissed Taldin with a wave of his hand, still facing the flames.

The Captain was about to bid his farewell and leave when he remembered there was yet another little problem that needed to be taken care of. "Oh, I almost forgot. Your Highness?" He addressed the Emperor, who seemed once again lost in his musings.

"Hmmm?" Taldin hated the bastard, but he had to give him credit for his dedication.

"Your Highness, about Lady Glinda." This seemed to get the Emperor's attention.

"What about our dear Lady Chuffrey?"

Taldin cleared his throat before speaking. "Well, Your Ozness, the people seem to be getting agitated after more than a week without seeing their beloved Lady Glinda the Good," the Captain informed, "and there's also the problem with the servants' families. People are starting to ask questions, Sir." Sometimes he wondered how they got away with as much as they did with the people of Oz none the wiser. "What should we tell them?"

The Emperor faced Taldin for the first time since his arrival, and like every other time before, the Captain couldn't help but flinch when those brown eyes locked with his own. "You don't need to worry about that, Captain." There was so much hatred in those eyes. "I've already thought about it."

Taldin nodded and bowed to The Emperor one last time before rushing out of the Palace without asking any more questions. He knew that he wouldn't have liked the answers anyway.

_To be continued…_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Difficult Passage**

Elphaba was exhausted; it hadn't been her brightest idea, leaving Kiamo Ko the night before during a raging storm. She had feared for her life on more than one occasion through her hasty flight to The Emerald City. _Brilliant idea, to go off flying on your broom when it was raining outside_, she had kept repeating to herself all night, _if the rain doesn't kill you, I'm sure the fall will do the trick._

She had spent the night flying high in order to elude the worst of the raining clouds, but still, her skin was feeling the damage the offending element had done. When morning came, she had chosen to walk, not wanting to draw any attention to herself. If she could help it, the rest of Oz would keep on believing she was dead, including Glinda. Though how would she manage to help the woman and still have her believe she was dead, she didn't know yet.

Walking through Kumbricia's Pass had taken her the better part of the day, and with her skin burning as it was, Elphaba had felt grumpy and very much in need of a good night's sleep. But she couldn't stop her journey, not when Glinda needed her; she had to get to the green city as soon as possible. So she had kept walking while thinking how she had known something hadn't been right all along, she had been feeling uneasy all week, and now she knew the reason why. Elphaba had always been like this, for some reason, even when she was a baby she had always been able to feel things that other people couldn't. She had whished many times the feelings had come accompanied by images of what was causing her anxiousness, but apparently, it didn't work that way.

So here she was now, almost at the end of her journey, night enveloping her once again, and fortunately, the clouds the night before had caused her so much trouble, now were hiding the moon, thus allowing her to fly undetected towards the green spires that could be seen on the horizon.

Elphaba flew down when she could make out the deserted streets of the worst part of The Emerald City. As soon as the heels of her black boots touched the road, she hid the broom beneath her cloak as best as she could manage, she didn't want any prying eyes taking notice of her. She started walking at a brisk pace, even though she wasn't sure about where to begin looking for Glinda. The image she had seen on the crystal ball looked like some sort of cell, so her first guess would be Southstairs, it would be the most logical place to take a high profile prisoner as Glinda. Now, she just needed to find a way into the high security prison and pray that her guess was, indeed, correct.

During her time involved in the movement to free the Animals, Elphaba had heard many times about Southstairs and how it was possible to go in and out of the prison through secret passages hidden all over the city. The problem was that, after the Under-mayor had discovered the existence of said entrances and how they were used to rescue prisoners, most of those passages had been blocked off. She just hoped that the one she thought she could remember how to find was still there.

It took her almost an hour to find the path that ran along the Gillikin River and led to a cave hidden from view by bushes and leafy vegetation. Upon entering the cave she breathed a sigh of relief at finding out that, even though it seemed it was hardly used anymore, the passage was still there. _Let's just hope that it gets me inside the prison and not somewhere else_, she thought; the burns in her skin were really starting to hurt and Elphaba knew she needed to take care of them if she didn't want them to leave permanent marks on her delicate skin, but she didn't have time right now. She was having that nagging feeling again; she knew she had to hurry to Glinda. So Elphaba forgot about her pain and followed the dark and humid passage hoping it will take her to the blonde witch's side.

She had been walking in darkness for what felt like hours when finally she discerned what looked like a flickering light at the end of the tunnel, she hurried towards the light and when she got to the end of the passage realized that, indeed, it had led her to Southstairs. The only problem was that just a few bricks from the wall blocking her path were missing.

"Just my luck." She said looking gloomily at the wall before her. It would only take a second to blow the bricks to smithereens, but she couldn't risk the guards hearing the rumble so she carefully removed them one by one until there was a hole big enough for her to fit through it.

Once she was on the other side, Elphaba kept her ears attuned to any sound that could mean trouble; she didn't know which way to go, it seemed that getting into the prison hadn't been the most difficult part of this ordeal after all. Just when she was about to go left, she heard footsteps coming from the corridor around the right corner, so she hid behind a column and waited. A minute later, a smartly dressed man turned the corner and appeared on the corridor where Elphaba was hiding; she couldn't suppress her surprise and took a sharp intake of breath upon recognizing him. "Shell." She whispered, and before she could think better of it Elphaba walked to the middle of the corridor, abandoning her hiding position and startling the man.

Shell was taken aback by the black-clad figure in front of him, but he quickly recovered his composure and directed an intrigued look at the stranger in the corridor. The woman, or at least who he thought was a woman, was completely covered in black. Not even her face was visible from where he stood, partly because the light was so dim here at Southstairs, but also because the stranger was wearing a black scarf to cover her face, leaving only her eyes visible between her hair and the scarf.

"Are you lost, Miss?" Shell took a step towards the woman, but she took a step back from him.

"You!" Elphaba growled. "What are you doing here?" She was cursing herself for letting her emotions get the better of her. Why hadn't she stayed behind the column? Shell wouldn't have seen her, what was she thinking approaching him like this? But even if she hated to admit it, she had seen her little brother and her feet had decided instead of her brain.

Shell was once again surprised by the stranger's behavior and stared at her with curiosity. _Who is this woman?_ "I could ask you the same question, Miss." He answered calmly. "After all, this is no place for a Lady to be taking a stroll."

Elphaba smirked to herself, though the scarf prevented Shell from seeing it. This was just so like her brother, using his charm to get his way. "I'm no Lady, boy." Her voice didn't sound like Elphaba's at all; she couldn't let him know who she was. "And what I'm doing here is none of your business."

"Well then, I believe my answer is pretty much the same as yours." Shell retorted with a smile. "Which is a pity, really. Because maybe I could have been of help to you." Shell didn't know why, but he felt compelled to help the peculiar woman.

The offer took Elphaba by surprise, but she hid it well. She pondered her options and came to the conclusion that, in the unlikely event that Shell knew how to find Glinda, it would be worth a try asking her brother for help, seeing how Elphaba herself didn't have the slightest clue of where to start searching for her friend.

"I'm looking for someone." She finally said. Shell hadn't expected the woman to take him up on his offer, but for some reason he was glad that she had.

"Of course you are." He replied. "Why else would you be down here? Everyone comes looking for someone."

Elphaba managed to hold her tongue before asking who was Shell looking for, then. This wasn't the time, Glinda needed her help. "Lady Glinda Chuffrey," she said the name and waited for Shell's reaction, "I was informed she was brought here."

His affable stance changed in a second, and Elphaba could see his brother becoming guarded about the subject. "How do you know her?" He questioned while piercing Elphaba with his stare. "And why would you want to find her?"

So he knew where Glinda was, Elphaba concluded. If the situation hadn't been so serious she would have been amused at Shell's protectiveness of Glinda. _Who would have thought?_ "I don't know the Lady." She answered unfazed. "A friend of hers asked for my help; he said that she was hurt." Elphaba didn't feel the need to elaborate any more.

_Liir_, Shell thought. It had been a couple of days since he had last seen the boy, but by the look of things he was a resourceful little man. He relaxed slightly. "All right then." He walked past Elphaba with his hands clasped behind his back and motioned for her to follow. "I was heading to her cell to see her anyway, so I guess you can come along if you like."

Elphaba nodded her agreement and followed him. They walked in silence through endless corridors and finally, after what to Elphaba seemed like an eternity later, Shell stopped in front of one of the doors and used his key to open it. "Here we are." He said while holding the door open for Elphaba to enter the cell.

Mali and Lea had been sleeping when the noise of the door opening woke them; they looked startled at the entrance of the cell and rushed to their feet when they saw a black dressed woman walk in and hurriedly go to Glinda's side. Their stares turned to Shell who tried to smile encouragingly at them, but Lea was having none of it and run to where the stranger was kneeling beside the unconscious blonde. Mali, who had been closer to Glinda, restrained the brown-haired woman just when she was about to shove the newcomer away from the blonde Witch. From her vantage point, the redhead had overheard Elphaba's whispered words to Glinda, and shaking her head she gave Lea a small smile, letting her know that the black-clad woman was no threat to their cellmate.

_To be continued…_

_Okay, so don't hate me just yet. At least they finally are in the same room, just a little while longer for the expected reunion, I promise! I'm a bit of a plot obsessive kind of writer, so bear with me, please? :P_

_I'll try to update as soon as possible, until then, let me know what you think. And as always, thank you for reading!_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

* * *

_Sorry for the delay. Life has a way of getting in the way sometimes._

_I want to thank all the readers and the people who have reviewed the story, especially those who seem to have made it a habit after each update, you are very kind. I appreciate every single comment; it keeps the muse whispering in my ear, so please, feed the muse ;)_

_Chapters 12, 13 and 14 are now up. I hope you enjoy.

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_

**Chapter 12 – A Friend in Need**

Upon entering the cell, the only thing that registered on Elphaba's mind was the unconscious body lying on the stone floor. She rushed to Glinda's side and knelt beside her, gently brushing some strands of hair from the blonde's forehead and gasping when the extent of Glinda's injuries was visible to her. She had to restrain herself from reaching out and tracing the bruise that surrounded the gash going from the blonde's left temple to her eye. "Oh, Glinda." Elphaba said mournfully and chose to softly caress Glinda's cheek with the back of her hand instead. "What have they done to you?" And though she was whispering her words, the rage in her voice was perfectly evident. She was completely oblivious to her surroundings and the people that were in the cell with her, she didn't even notice when Mali tackled a baffled Lea before she could attack Elphaba.

"What are you doing?" Lea muttered confused by her friend's reaction, but Mali just shook her head and smiled at the younger woman.

"I don't think she's here to harm her, dear." Now that she was closer to the two women on the floor, Lea could see how the raven-haired stranger was tenderly examining the unconscious Witch's wounds, and she relaxed a little.

"Well, we still don't know who she is, or how she got into the prison." She mumbled, reluctant to trust the newcomer so easily.

Shell approached the two cellmates and bowed to them in salutation. "Ladies." He said. "I'm sorry to bother you at such unsuitable hours, but I found her roaming the corridors and when she told me she was here to help the Lady," he took a sidelong look at the black figure tending to Glinda before continuing, "well, I just thought that you would approve. It seems the boy sent her to help." He elaborated. And at the mention of Liir, Lea seemed to finally accept the fact that the mysterious woman wasn't a threat to Glinda.

Elphaba was furious, but she didn't let it cloud her judgment, she breathed deeply trying to calm herself, and for the first time since her arrival she took notice of the people surrounding her and their muttered voices. Without letting go of Glinda's hand she turned and faced the cellmates, asking them through clenched teeth. "How long has she been like this?"

Mali was the first one to address her, turning away from her conversation with Shell and Lea she went to Elphaba and kneeled on the other side of Glinda's body. "They brought her here more than a week ago," she said taking hold of Glinda's left hand, "and she has been out of it since then." She couldn't help but stare with curiosity at the figure crouching over Glinda's body, and she froze when rich brown eyes locked with hers. It was the only part visible from the stranger's face and the intensity that those orbs held made her shrink a bit. She tried to speak again, sensing the woman wanted a more elaborated answer, but the words died in her throat. _Who is this woman?_ Mali tried to wet her suddenly dry throat. She wasn't one to get scared easily, but something about this person unsettled her.

Lea sensed the distress on Mali's face and quickly abandoned the whispered conversation she was having with Shell about bringing strangers to their cell to go to her friend's side. "What's going on?" She put a protective arm over the redhead's shoulders and eyed Elphaba suspiciously.

Mali's voice chose that moment to reappear. "Nothing." She said smiling. "I was just giving the woman some details about our patient." She tried to appease Lea, who seemed as intent on examining the newcomer as Mali had been seconds ago.

Elphaba sighed exasperated; she hated it when people stared at her. _Then again, what did you expect after showing up unannounced and hiding your face from view_, she thought. She started rummaging through her bag, trying to give the cellmates some time to get used to the idea of her being there. Thank Oz she had thought about leaving the broom leaning against the outside wall when Shell wasn't paying attention to her, goodness knows what kind of looks would she be receiving if she hadn't. She put some crystal bottles down by Glinda's head and looked up at the prisoners once more; they didn't seem inclined to stop scrutinizing her anytime soon, so she decided to give them something to do to keep their wondering minds occupied.

"Here." She held out one purple bottle and some clean cloths to Mali. "Empty the bottle over the cloth." She instructed, and the redhead took the items gingerly, not knowing what else to do. "Has she woken up during this time?" Elphaba directed the question at Lea, who was still looking at her reservedly.

The brown-haired woman nodded. "I mean, not really." Elphaba gazed at her with impatience. "She has opened her eyes a couple of times, but she was delirious and talking nonsense. She wasn't really conscious, if you know what I mean."

Elphaba put her hand over Glinda's forehead and felt her temperature, even through her gloves she could feel the heat emanating from the blonde, she cursed to herself. She gave Lea another bottle and some more cloths. "Soak them with this; it will help bring her fever down." Lea took them and did as she was told.

"She hasn't eaten since the day they brought her." Mali volunteered. "We've only managed to make her drink some water." She handed the purple soaked cloths back to Elphaba.

Shell was resting against one of the cell walls, observing the stranger at work. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about this woman felt familiar to him, and he was going to find out what it was. He forgot about his previous engagements and settled on the floor, his eyes intent on the action before him.

Elphaba carefully put the cloth Mali had given her over Glinda's swollen temple and held it there. The blonde sorceress was oblivious to everything taking place around her. When Elphaba pulled back her hand, Mali gasped in surprise, making both Shell and Lea look at her.

"What is it?" Lea asked; Mali had a hand clapped over her mouth and the other was shaking, pointing at what a couple of minutes ago, had been an obviously swollen temple. "How in Oz?" Lea asked looking at Elphaba and then back at Glinda's temple. "How did you do that?" She demanded, not knowing if what she was feeling was relief or fear. Shell had come closer to them after Lea's outburst and was once again regarding Elphaba curiously.

Elphaba discarded the used cloth. "It's a curative oil, makes the swelling go down." She explained to her attentive audience while taking from Lea's numb hands the oil soaked rag she was holding. "Unfortunately, it doesn't work with flesh wounds." Elphaba softly traced the edges of the gash still present on Glinda's forehead before placing the new cloth over the blonde's heated brow.

"And now what?" Asked a concerned Mali, still looking at the now healed area of Glinda's face in wonderment.

"Now we wait for the oils to make her fever break." Was all that Elphaba said, not even bothering to look up to Mali, she was observing Glinda, looking out for any sign of recovery from her friend.

Lea took a hard look at Shell, then at Mali, and not seeing any intention of demanding some answers from the stranger in either of them, she took the job upon herself. "Ok, I've had it." She sounded pissed, and Elphaba raised her head with mild interest towards the brown-haired woman. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but…"

"But you are." Lea's speech was cut short by Elphaba's voice, the words sidetracking her thoughts leaving her looking dumbly at Elphaba.

"What?" She asked to the Witch that was holding her gaze.

"Complaining," Elphaba said calmly to the prisoner, "you are complaining." Lea was dumbstruck by the retort. "Look," Elphaba sighed, trying to hold her short temper, "I know you don't know me, and I know you want to help her. I want to help her too." She tried to keep a reassuring voice. "So please, just let the oils do their work," she held Lea's stare a second longer, "alright?" and after receiving an almost imperceptible nod from Lea, she returned to her silent vigil.

Mali took pity on her chastised friend and decided to be the one to ask the question she knew the three of them wanted to ask. "I'm sorry Miss," she began, "it's just…well, the oils worked amazingly quickly, you see. And," she swallowed nervously, "the medicines we had were barely helping her at all. That makes us wonder." She left her thoughts hanging.

"These are magical charged oils." Elphaba answered the unasked question. "That's the reason why they are so effective. Normal medicine takes an awful longer time to work."

Mali's eyes bulged in surprise, and Lea beat her to the next question. "Are you a sorceress?" She asked, half in awe, half with terror. The mysterious woman scared her enough as it was.

"Hardly." Replied Elphaba snidely, not noticing the pensive look Shell was directing at her. The prisoners understood the woman wasn't going to offer any more information on the subject, so they rested their backs against the wall that was already holding Shell upright and waited in silence while Elphaba, sitting on her haunches, kept a constant eye on Glinda.

It wasn't until a couple of hours later that the drowsing cellmates and Shell were rushed from their slumber by the sound of a soft whisper.

"Elpha...ba?"

_To be continued…_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

* * *

_I uploaded three new chapters on this update, so be sure to read Chapter 12 before this one!

* * *

_

**Chapter 13 – New Orders**

Liir arranged his formal wear while observing his comrades do the same around the barracks. They were supposed to attend a meeting with the Captain of The Gale Force in a couple of minutes, a meeting regarding The Grimmerie's disappearance, and he was anxious to get a little more information about the whereabouts of the book himself. He followed the rest of the soldiers out of the sleeping area onto the Gale Force meeting hall down the corridor.

He could clearly remember seeing The Grimmerie back at Kiamo Ko, Elphaba was always immersed in one of its pages whenever he or Nor went up to her tower in the castle. _She had had more time to spare for a book than for her own son_, he thought bitterly and then cursed inwardly for letting his memories get the better of him once again. _Stop it this instant, Liir_, he chided himself. _You don't even know if the woman was your mother, and she's dead anyway, so get over it. _

His mental scolding finished, Liir mused again about the importance of keeping the book away from The Emperor and his lackeys. He had yet to meet the man, but considering all he had heard about him, and what the bastard had done to Lady Glinda…well, he had an inkling about what His Highness intended to do with the book. _Nothing good, that was for sure_. Elphaba had always said how dangerous the book could be in the wrong hands, and he was going to do everything in his power to prevent that from happening.

"Attention!" The commanding voice broke Liir's train of thought, and he found himself straightening up to meet his Captain gaze. "Soldiers of The Gale Force," Captain Taldin addressed his men from the middle of the room, "it looks like our hard work has finally been rewarded." He said smiling encouragingly at his soldiers. "We have a lead on the book."

Taldin walked with his head held high from one end of the room to the other, looking each soldier in the eyes. "I know that many of you, young men, weren't in this mission from the beginning, but we need every Gale Force soldier available working in this search party." The Captain hated this, giving them hope when he knew the lead they had was a weak one at best. How were they supposed to find the butler? He didn't have any family to interrogate for information, he could be anywhere in Oz. But The Emperor had been adamant. So a search party was to be sent to every region in Oz.

"We are looking for a young man, 19 years-old, name is Kiilt Qadlig," he informed his men, "and we believe he is the one who ran away with the book." The Captain clasped his hands behind his back and spoke to his men the final orders. "Each Unit will head to one of Oz's regions and hopefully, we'll have The Grimmerie in our hands in no time." _Liar_, he thought to himself. "Your lieutenants will give you the details of the mission. You'll head out first thing in the morning, so try to catch some sleep." And with that, he turned and walked to the end of the room. "Dismissed!"

Liir was about to exit the meeting hall when one of the golden buttons from his green-coat rolled over the rug. He went to pick it up, and when he was crouching behind the wooden door he saw one of The Emperor's couriers enter the hall and walk towards the engrossed figure of Captain Taldin, a green envelope in his hand.

"Sir." The courier spoke startling Taldin.

"What is it?" The man extended the envelope to the Captain who took it promptly.

"The Emperor sends his regards, Sir." And with that, the courier left the room.

He didn't know why, but Liir thought better to stay put. He remained kneeling on the floor, hidden from the Captain's view behind the door.

"Bloody Hell!" Liir heard the curse leaving the Captain's mouth after reading The Emperor's note, and the sound of paper being crumpled just before he saw Taldin leaving the room at a hurried pace.

Liir got out of his hiding position and ran to the fireplace where he had seen the Captain throw the slip of paper. Luckily, the note had barely begun to burn when he got it out of the fire, and enough of it was left to make Liir's heart freeze upon reading it. He left the meeting hall running, in search of the nearest exit to the Emerald City streets, leaving behind a burning slip of paper in the middle of the fireplace.

_Spread the rumor, Glinda the Good has been kidnapped by enemies of The Emperor._

_I don't want any loose ends; I want Lady Chuffrey dead by morn…_

_To be continued..._


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

* * *

_I uploaded three new chapters on this update, so be sure to read Chapters 12 and 13 before this one!

* * *

_

**Chapter 14 – Hope**

Elphaba felt the small hand she was holding jolt in her grasp, and not a second later she heard. "Elpha…ba?"

She heard her name whispered softly, but her enthusiasm at hearing that voice was short lived though, because when she took a look at Glinda's face she realized her friend was still very much asleep, and probably having another one of those fevered dreams. Dream or not dream, Elphaba couldn't help herself and squeezed the blonde's hand, as to let her know that she was there. The now awake prisoners sat a little closer to Glinda's body, while Shell remained where he was, still watching Elphaba's movements closely.

"Is she awake?" Mali asked hopefully.

"No, She's just…" Elphaba's words were interrupted by the weak voice again.

"I am s…sorry, El..phie." Glinda's voice faltered because of the shivers running through her body. "I've tri…tried to be s…strong." Mali came even closer to the shivering blonde.

"What is wrong with her?" She looked franticly between Elphaba and Glinda's faces.

"I think her fever is breaking." Elphaba answered, taking off her cloak and covering Glinda's body with it, tucking her in.

"I'm s…sorry." The blonde said again, and Elphaba couldn't take it any longer.

"Why would you be sorry?"

"Be...cause I fai…failed you." Glinda's words hit Elphaba like a hammer. "I wan…ted you to be pr…proud of me." A single tear left Glinda's eye, and with her last word she grasped Elphaba's arm, who couldn't hide the painful hiss that escaped her mouth at the contact with her burned skin.

"Miss, you are in pain!" Mali was at Elphaba's side in a second, while Lea kept a watchful eye on Glinda. The brown-haired woman was looking at Elphaba with interest now, she had seen the look on the stranger's eyes after Glinda's words, and something was going on here.

"It's nothing, just a bruise." Mali tried to take a look at the injury, but Elphaba moved her arm away.

"I said it's nothing." Her tone made Mali recoil and Elphaba kicked herself mentally for being so brusque. "I'm sorry. I'm alright, honest." She patted the red-haired woman on the hand and turned her attention to Glinda, her own injuries could wait a little longer.

Elphaba moved to check Glinda's temperature, and was happy to see it had come down a bit. The shivers were becoming less and less violent, and she seemed to be resting once again. The brunette was glad the delirious talk was over, it had left her feeling overwhelmed. What was Glinda talking about? Failing her? Why would she think that?

Lea chose that moment to speak again, after Glinda's fevered words and Elphaba's rejection of Mali's help, the cell had been immersed in an uncomfortable silence. "She keeps calling to that person." She said to no one in particular, and when Elphaba looked at her curiously she elaborated. "That Elphie, Elphaba or whatever," she made a dismissive gesture with her hand, "she's been repeating that name every time she has 'waken up'. I wonder who this person is. It must be really important to her, if it is the only thought she has while facing death."

Lea kept her gaze locked onto Elphaba's, trying to discern any sign of recognition in the other woman's eyes, but Elphaba didn't even blink, she held Lea's stare. It was as if the brown-haired woman was trying to bait her, so Elphaba simply said. "She's delirious, that's all there is to it."

It was Mali's turn to disagree with the witch. "Oh, I don't know about that, Miss. I've been around a couple of really sick people in my life, and I can honestly say they always seem to hold on what's dearest to them when their time com…well, when they are most in need." She had noticed the quizzical look on Lea's eyes when talking about Glinda's words, maybe the younger woman was onto something.

Shell was feeling antsy, sitting around in the cell was getting to his head, and he was starting to imagine things that weren't possible. Of course, Glinda calling out to Elphaba wasn't helping either. Her sister was dead, and this woman, whoever she was, wasn't Elphaba. Shell stood and spoke startling them. "She was my sister," he said, and when he saw the dumbfounded looks on the women faces, he tried to explain himself, "this person she keeps calling. She was my sister, Elphaba." He swallowed after saying the name out loud. "They were friends." With that he went to the door. "I'm going to go take a look outside, just in case." He closed the cell's door behind him and tried to calm his nerves. This wasn't like him at all, losing his composure like this; maybe he just needed some fresh air. "Too bad you're stuck down here for the moment." He muttered while walking the corridor from one end to the other. Maybe a little exercise would help.

"Well, her time hasn't come yet." Elphaba spoke inside the cell, trying to break the silence that had fallen upon them after Shell's revelation. _Had it been sadness that look in his eyes when he talked about me?_ She shook her head to clear it of stupid thoughts. "She's getting better. So let's just wait for the oils to do their work, and then you can ask the Lady yourself what was going through her mind in her time of need." She said to Mali. Her words curt and to the point, she didn't have time to ruminate about Shell's reaction or Glinda's words. She had to get the blonde woman out of there as soon as possible, and everything else would have to wait. It would be morning in a couple of hours, and she had every intention of being out of here before the sunrise.

* * *

Liir hurried down the stairs Shell had shown him a couple of days ago. It was the quickest way into the Southstairs prison, and also the one where your chances of getting caught were the strongest. This time he didn't have the charming man by his side to ease his way through, Shell would have been a lot of help, but he hadn't managed to find him. So it was just him, it would have to be enough. He had to get to Glinda's cell and then he would have to think of some way to get her out of there.

He run through the corridors, trying to remember the way to the Witch's cell, and barely managed to stay out of one of the jailers' sight when turning a corner too fast. Some minutes later he was on the right corridor, and in his haste to get to Glinda, he collided with a distracted Shell.

"What in Oz?" Shell seized Liir to prevent him from falling backwards, and only when the boy was upright he recognized him. "Liir! My boy," he said patting the young man on the back, "we have to stop meeting like this." Shell's smile froze on his lips when he saw the worried look on the boy's face. "What is it, boy?" But Liir sidestepped Shell and run to the cell, with the man following right behind him.

* * *

Elphaba was getting anxious, Glinda's fever was almost gone, but the blonde was still unconscious and they were running out of time. It was almost morning and with it would come the jailers' patrols. She didn't know how to get the woman out of there in this state; flying with a dead weight behind her was out of the question. A sudden noise at the door made the three women jump.

"Liir, what is going on?" Shell's voice demanded, and Elphaba's heart stopped for a second when she looked up and saw her son walking inside the cell. The boy had grown in the past year, and his hair was longer than she remembered. The young man didn't seem to notice the stranger in the cell at first; he just turned and faced Shell.

"We have to get her out here! The three of them." Shell could see the panic in the boy's eyes, so he tried to calm him by placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, boy. Why the sudden hurry?" But Liir shrugged off Shell's hand. He didn't need coddling; he needed help.

"They are coming!" He said, practically shouting, but Shell didn't seem to understand the seriousness of the situation. "The Gale Force! They are going to kill her!" Liir turned around to point at Glinda, but his movement came to a halt when he laid eyes on Elphaba. He blanched as if he had seen a ghost. "Who…who are you?" His voice trembled.

Lea and Mali both looked at Elphaba, and then at Liir. Lea was the first one to speak. "You don't know her?" And at Liir's shook of his head she turned to Shell. "But you said he sent her here."

Shell just shrugged taken aback, not knowing what was going on. All the while, Elphaba was trying to wrap her mind around the idea of having not only her brother but also her son in the Southstairs' cell with her; _so much for keeping a low profile_. It was in that moment that Liir's words permeated her brain, and she turned her attention to Glinda once more.

"Who are you?" Mali's voice broke the sudden silence, and Elphaba didn't even try to hold back her temper this time.

"It doesn't matter who I am! Haven't you heard what he said?" Her voice was cold as ice. "They are coming to kill her." She took Glinda into her arms so the blonde woman's upper body was resting against her. "Come on Glinda, snap out of it!" Her tone was harsh, but it was easy to hear the concern behind it. Liir and Shell's eyes opened in amazement when Elphaba's undisguised voice reached their ears. "Your fever is gone, the swelling is gone, so you are just wallowing in self-pity!" She was desperate; she didn't know what to do. _Glinda should be awake, the oils have done their job, and the concussion couldn't be all that bad if she is still alive, right?_

"Damn it Glinda, wake up!" Lea reached her hand to Elphaba's shoulder with every intention of getting the blonde woman out of her grasp and maybe even give the stranger a piece of her mind for talking to Lady Glinda in such a manner, but when Elphaba's eyes reached hers, the anguish that was held in the brown eyes made her think better of it, and she just rested her hand on Elphaba's shoulder to offer comfort.

As much as Shell wanted to stay in the cell and see with his own eyes if this woman was who he thought she was, he knew there were more pressing matters that needed his attention. He took a couple of steps back, still looking at the raven-haired woman cradling Glinda in her arms, and when he reached the door he went out of the cell, a stunned Liir followed him.

"Where are you going?" The boy asked.

"You said they were coming, so I'm going to keep an eye out." Shell answered.

"We should help the other two out, there's no nee…" Liir's words were interrupted by Mali's confident voice.

"We won't leave without Lady Glinda." And Lea nodded in agreement. Shell gave Liir one last encouraging smile before taking off running, calling back to the boy.

"Help them out if I don't make it back!"

Ten minutes later, Glinda was still deeply asleep, and Elphaba was out of options. She was cursing herself for not having paid more attention in her 'Healing through Magic' classes back at Shiz. _What was it? Damn it! Something about body energy, or mind energy. _She couldn't quite remember how it worked, but it was worth a try. Elphaba took off the scarf that covered her face and used her mouth to peel the black glove from her right hand, making visible for everyone in the cell her emerald skin. A collective gasp was heard around her, even Shell who had just returned from his short scouting trip couldn't hide his surprise when he saw the stranger become Elphaba before his eyes.

She glanced to the cell's door where Liir and Shell were standing; she could see the confusion and hurt in their eyes, but now was not the time, and Shell seemed to understand her thoughts because instead of asking questions he just volunteered the information he had obtained. "I've heard two jailers talking, two cellblocks from here. The Gale Force has reached the upper level. They'll be here in fifteen minutes," he held Elphaba's gaze, "if not sooner."

His voice held the urgency that all of them were feeling. Liir was biting his nails while clasping and unclasping his other hand over his sword's handle while Mali and Lea were huddled together, looking in awe as Elphaba gently cupped Glinda's cheek with her right hand, and lowered her head until their foreheads were touching. "I know you can hear me, you brat." She spoke with seriousness. "So you better open your eyes right now." Elphaba observed Glinda's features. The paleness of her skin worried her, _maybe she is in worse shape than I had thought, and maybe this stupid mind-body thing is of no use after all._

"Elphaba," Shell went to her and spoke softly, "we have to go. We'll have to take her like this now, or we won't be able to take her, at all."

Mali and Lea opened their eyes in surprise when they heard Shell call the stranger by her name, and suddenly, everything became clear to the two cellmates.

Elphaba held his brother's gaze and shook her head displeased. "We won't make it anywhere with her in this condition, Shell." She exhaled in despair. "If I could just…" she was losing it, it was happening again. Someone she cared about was suffering and she was as useless as she had always been, _some Witch you are!_

"No!" She snapped to no one in particular. "I won't have it, you hear me?" She put her forehead to Glinda's again and spoke to her. "Glinda, open your eyes this instant!" She brushed a golden lock from the blonde's face. "Come on, you little idiot! I have to take you out of here." A note of despair crept into her voice. "Glinda, please." She was begging now. "I can't take you out of here if you don't wake up."

Liir was beside himself with fear, they were coming, he could feel it. "We have to go, now!"

Elphaba kept rocking Glinda's body in her arms, she didn't know what to do, she was grasping at straws. "Please, Glinda." She said in a hopeless voice. "Open those beautiful blue eyes of yours." She didn't even notice the tears running down her cheeks. "Please. Wake up, my sweet." It was then that Glinda's eyes burst open, and she took a sharp intake of breath. Elphaba had to swallow down a sob.

"Elphaba?" The small and confused voice tore at Elphaba's heart, and all she could do was hold the blonde woman to her, hugging her tightly. It wasn't just Elphaba who had to keep her emotions from getting the better of her; Mali and Lea were trying to hold back their tears after seeing the emotional display before them.

Shell cleared his throat, partly to get rid of the lump there and partly to get her sister's attention. Elphaba's mind cleared a bit, she knew this wasn't the time or the place for celebrations. She looked in Glinda's eyes and spoke softly to her. "I need you to stay awake for me, can you do that?"

Glinda was overtaken by the situation, she didn't know if she wanted to cry or to scream. Elphaba saw the lost look in her eyes and cupped her cheek again, forcing the blonde's eyes to hers. "Listen to me. I know you are scared and confused, but right now I need you to trust me, alright?" Glinda simply nodded, lost in Elphaba's eyes. "I need you to stay awake for me." When Glinda nodded her assent again, Elphaba sat her up carefully, and wrapped her black cloak around the smaller woman's shoulders.

"Elphaba, we really need to go, right now." Shell went to pick Glinda up into his arms, but Elphaba stopped him.

"No, you take them out of here." She said signaling the two scared women. "There's a passage in the corridor you found me last night, the wall has some bricks missing. I think it will be safer than going through your usual route." She took Glinda into her arms and stood. "I'll take her, just point me towards the courtyard." She walked out of the cell hurriedly.

Shell followed her and thought for a second, trying to remember the way to the place. "Alright. Four cellblocks to your left, then turn right and keep going until you find a big hall, cross it and exit the hall from the east side, two corridors to your right and you will find the courtyard." Elphaba memorized her route while Liir motioned Lea and Mali to follow him.

The women abandoned their cell looking worriedly at the weak blonde in Elphaba's arms. "Miss, how are you going to manage with her?" Mali asked, and Elphaba's only answer was to grab the broom from its resting position against the wall.

"Are you sure?" Shell asked one last time.

"Just go. If they don't see you getting into the passage chances are you will be safe." Shell nodded his agreement.

"We'll meet outside the City Walls," he said, "on the west side, by the Gillikin River, alright?"

Elphaba agreed and took one last look at Shell, and then at Liir, who was eying her reservedly. _Who could blame him?_

"I'll see you later." She told them, never leaving Liir's eyes, and with that she turned and left them standing in the middle of the corridor.

"We must go." Shell didn't waste any time and went running in the opposite direction from Elphaba, with Liir and the two prisoners close behind.

"Do you think they'll make it?" Lea asked unconvinced while running after them.

"We'll find out soon enough." Was Shell's cryptic reply before turning another corner in his search for the hidden passage.

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Elphaba's arms were killing her, the neglected burns were making this run horribly painful, but she had to get Glinda to safety before she could worry about her wounds.

"We are almost there." She said looking down at Glinda's face; the blonde woman was struggling to stay awake. "We'll be there in no time, Glinda. Pease don't fall asleep on me." She pleaded with her, and received a small nod in return. She heard the running footsteps behind them just before she heard the shouts of the soldiers.

"This way!" They said. And the sounds of their voices were getting closer and closer. _Come on Elphaba, don't give up now, you are almost there_, she encouraged herself.

"They're going towards the courtyard!"

_Come on, come on! Almost there, almost there…_ she kept chanting to herself, and soon enough, the courtyard appeared before her eyes, just as the Gale Force soldiers turned the corner behind them.

"There!" The soldiers were almost upon them. "Fire! Shoot to kill!"

Elphaba reached the courtyard and clutched the broom firmly in her grasp while throwing her leg over it; she held Glinda tightly to her and kicked at the floor, flying high into the starry night, the sounds of gunfire still ringing in her ears. "Let them be alright." She muttered, thinking about the people she had left behind.

She pulled Glinda closer to her and whispered in her ear. "Hold out, my sweet." And Glinda finally let her tears fall as she held on to Elphaba for dear life.

_To be continued…_

_Wow, this one was a long one. The muse just kept talking and I'm too polite to tell her to shut up._

_I know Glinda has been a bit uncommunicative in the last chapters, but it will change in the future, I promise. I hope you enjoyed the read and please, let me know what you think._

_As always, thanks for reading._


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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_Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I'm uploading Chapters 15, 16 and 17 to make up for it._

_I want to thank all the people that have read the story, and specially those who have reviewed it, thank you! Knowing your opinions really helps me to keep the story going…so please, keep the feedback coming!_

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**Chapter 15 – Plots**

Captain Taldin arrived to the courtyard with a couple of his men in tow; the sound of gunfire had alerted them about the prisoners' location. When they had arrived to Lady Chuffrey's cell, they had found it empty and Taldin had arranged two search parties to go in different directions as to cover more ground.

However, his hopes of finding the fugitives in custody disappeared when he realized the only persons present on the courtyard where his own soldiers. "Where are they?" He directed his question to one of his lieutenants.

"I'm sorry, Sir." The Lieutenant said, still too stunned to try and explain to his Captain what had happened.

"Well, if you haven't found them, what are you doing standing here like idiots?" The soldier squirmed on his feet, not sure how to explain to his superior what he had just seen. "Don't be sorry, boy. Do your job!" The Captain was inches away from his Lieutenant's face._ The Emperor isn't going to like this; I just know it._ "How far do you think two women carrying and unconscious body could go?"

The soldier managed not to take a step back away from the Captain's angry face. "That's the thing, Sir." He gulped. "It was just one woman carrying the unconscious body, and they…" The young man tried to explain, even though not even he was sure of what exactly had happened.

"They, what? Where are they?" The soldier straightened up, and tried to look as dignified as possible.

"They flew away, Sir."

Taldin's eyes bulged out of its orbits. "Flew away?" The Captain grasped the soldier's green-coat by its front and brought the poor boy even closer to his own face. "What do you mean 'they flew away'?"

The Lieutenant swallowed his fear and answered his Captain's question. "A raven haired woman dressed in black carried Lady Chuffrey out here and then, they flew out…on a broomstick." Captain Taldin let go of his lieutenant instantly. "We didn't get a close look at the woman, and there was no trace of the other two prisoners, Sir." The soldier finished.

Taldin was lost in thought and barely nodded at his man's words. "Find out who was that woman, and keep searching the premises. The other two may still be inside the prison. Also, notify the guards outside, those women are a threat to The Emperor, they must be found." With that, The Captain turned around leaving an obviously relieved lieutenant behind. _The Emperor is not going to like this news, at all.

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The Captain made his way through the corridors of the Emperor's Palace. Some days he hated his job. He was partly relieved that Lady Glinda had made it out of Southstairs alive. He hadn't liked his orders in the first place, but he knew it was his duty to fulfill them, and now he had to explain to the bastard how he had failed in his mission. Certainly the Lady's escape was going to make Taldin's life just a little bit more complicated. He exhaled trying to regain his composure and entered the meeting hall where The Emperor was waiting for him.

"Your Highness." He addressed the man and bowed to him. "I'm afraid I bring bad news, Sir."

The emperor looked up from his desktop and pierced Captain Taldin with a hard stare. "I thought your orders where quite simple, Captain." He said in a cold voice. "What could have gone wrong in such a simple mission as the one I entrusted you with?"

_Here we go_, thought Taldin, _I knew this wasn't going to be easy_. "My Emperor, Lady Chuffrey is no longer held prisoner at Southstairs."

The Emperor eyed him carefully. "Somehow, Captain, I have the feeling she isn't dead either. Am I wrong?"

Taldin shook his head. "No Sir, Lady Chuffrey has managed to escape, as have her two cellmates. We are still looking for them, though with no results at the moment."

The Emperor stood from his chair and paced the room. "Care to explain how a dying woman managed to escape our high security prison, Captain?"

Taldin had to keep his snort from coming out of his mouth; Southstairs had so many breaches in its security that he was surprised so few attempted to escape from the place. "She had help, Your Ozness. And not just your run of the mill help." This news caught The Emperor attention.

"What do you mean?" He looked at Taldin with eagerness.

"A woman with a flying broomstick took Lady Chuffrey out of Southstairs, Sir." The Captain explained. "We are looking into it, Your Highness. We may be able to shed some light on her iden…"

The Emperor seething words interrupted Taldin's explanation. "A woman on a broomstick?" At Taldin's nod The Emperor went to his desk and started rummaging furiously through his drawers until he found what he was looking for. Taldin didn't know what to do, so he chose to wait for The Emperor to say something instead. "Was her hair black? Did you see her face?"

Taldin saw a myriad of emotions cross The Emperor's face while he looked at the picture he was holding in his hands; none of them expressed anything remotely close to warmth. "My soldiers didn't saw her face, My Emperor, but her hair was indeed black."

The Emperor clenched his hand until the framework's crystal shattered, then he took a calming breath and finally spoke. "We may have to change that press release a bit, Captain." He mused. "Maybe, we can even use this new development to our advantage."

Taldin didn't understand. "What do you mean, Sir?"

The Emperor locked his gaze with the Captain's, and as always, those cold brown eyes forced Taldin to suppress a flinch. "What I mean, my dear Captain, is that we are going to inform our fellow citizens about the return of Oz's greatest enemy." Comprehension dawned on Taldin's mind, and a sense of dread overcame him. The Emperor just smiled viciously and kept talking. "We'll tell them all about her killing spree at Lady Chuffrey's mansion, and how she kidnapped our dear Lady, Oz knows with which purpose." It was clear to Taldin that The Emperor was making up the plan as he spoke. "Yes, a good ruler needs a worthy enemy." The man continued thinking out loud. "And who would be a better opponent than the infamous Wicked Witch of the West?"

Taldin didn't like this plan, not one bit. "Sir, with all due respect, the Wicked Witch is dead. Oz's citizens won't believe that story."

The Emperor took a step towards the Captain, and the look in his eyes made Taldin recoil involuntarily. "The people will believe what I want them to believe, Captain." He went to his desk once again. "And I wouldn't be surprised if that woman turned out to be the Wicked Witch herself." The Emperor sat in his chair. "And if she's not, well, let her try and come here to contradict us. I would like to see that." He picked up the broken framework and stared at it intently. "Find them, Captain, and those two other women too. They could cause us trouble if they talk." He took one last disdainful look at the picture and threw it inside the drawer. "And don't forget that finding the Grimmerie is still our prime concern, maybe her old lair in the Vinkus would be a good place to start our search. Just in case this woman turns out to be the Witch from the West." He immersed himself again into the papers neatly placed over his desktop, and the Captain understood that he had been dismissed.

Taldin bowed to The Emperor, and left the meeting hall feeling ten times worse than when he had gone in. _Yes_, he thought, _sometimes I really hate my work_.

_To be continued…_


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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_I uploaded three new chapters on this update, so be sure to read Chapter 15 before this one!_

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**Chapter 16 – Waiting**

Shell guided his three companions through the dimly lit passage. It had taken some time to find the disguised exit and some more to put the bricks back so the holes in the wall wouldn't look suspicious to the Guards chasing them, but they had managed to do it without being discovered. They were now walking towards the end of the passage in silence, none of them wanting to talk about the gunshots they had heard just when they were getting into the tunnel. Shell couldn't think about that now, he had to get them out of there and someplace safe, he knew his big sister was capable of taking care of herself. Oz knew she had done it ever since she was a little girl.

Liir was on the rear, keeping an eye behind him in case some guards discovered their exit route, and using his solitude to order his thoughts. Elphaba was alive, and he didn't know how to feel about that. There was that feeling akin to happiness that had enveloped him upon discovering that the only family he had ever known was still among the living, and then there was the feeling of betrayal and of inadequacy that had surrounded him his whole life. He didn't know which one he should listen to, and to top it all off, he wasn't any closer to finding Nor than he had been a year ago. He couldn't help himself and a pitiful sigh escaped his lips, making Mali turn to face him.

"Don't worry, Liir." She said, confusing his actions for worry about the Witches. "I'm sure Lady Glinda will be alright, Miss Elphaba will take care of her." She tried to suppress from her voice the doubts that plagued her own mind. The boy needed encouragement, not another reason to worry.

Lea joined them and put her hand through the boy's arm. "Mali is right, I'm sure the both of them are okay." She gave his arm a little squeeze and they kept walking in the darkness, following Shell's figure.

"Glinda will be alright." Shell said, not bothering to look behind him. "My sister will make sure of it."

Liir tensed when hearing the man's words and Lea, who was still holding his arm, felt it. _So it was true then_, thought Liir, _I wasn't imagining things the last time I was here. Shell really is Elphaba's brother_. Lea watched as Liir's tension eased and his face became a mask of indifference once again. Mali didn't need to be touching the boy to appreciate the change in his demeanor when Elphaba's name had been mentioned.

They found the end of the tunnel after an hour of muddling through in near darkness. The walk along the Gillikin River towards the west was a long one, Shell wanted to put as much distance between them and the Emperor's soldiers as it was possible. So even though he knew the two women were exhausted, he kept going, and his respect for the two former prisoners rose when they didn't utter a word of complain.

Three hours later, they were resting in a small clearing near the river bank, only the sounds of the forest surrounding them, and Mali thought it was as good an occasion as any to bring the subject that had been bothering her since they had left the Southstairs prison.

"So the Wicked Witch is your sister, right?" She asked the question with no ill will intended.

"She is not wicked!" Liir and Shell's voices joined in defense of the green woman, and Lea couldn't help but smile at the smoothness of her friend. Shell looked at Liir astounded.

"You know her." It wasn't a question; Shell just stated the fact out loud.

"I knew her." That was Liir's only answer before standing and walking away from the group. Shell kept watching him with curiosity while the boy walked away, taking notice for the first time of his hair, black as the night. This day just kept getting more and more interesting.

"I'm sorry Master Shell." Mali said to the man. "I didn't mean to be rude."

Shell just shook his head. "It's okay, really. I should be accustomed by now." He dismissed Mali's concern with a smile. "And just Shell is alright, no Master needed."

Mali returned the smile and used the opening he had left to keep the conversation on the same subject. "I thought she was dead." And that was all she added.

"So did I. When news came from the Emerald City saying the Witch was dead, that she had been melted, we believed them." Shell looked lost in his thoughts, but soon he took the conversation up again. "She really was, is allergic to water, so the story seemed plausible to us."

Lea had been listening to them, and chose that moment to join the conversation. "The rumors were true, then." She said tentatively. "Glinda the Good was her friend."

Shell nodded. "You have to understand I was a young boy when all this happened, so my knowledge of their friendship during that period is scarce at best." He stood and started pacing, feeling more in control of himself than sitting down. "They met at Shiz where they went to University, and somehow despite their differences they became friends. I remember a summer visit from Glinda to Colwen Grounds during that time," both women could see these were fond memories for Shell, his face spoke for himself, "but shortly after, Elphaba disappeared without good reason. No visits, no letters, nothing. Just silence. Glinda became Lady Chuffrey and one day my sister was Elphaba Thropp and the next one she became The Wicked Witch of the West." His voice sounded sad. "I really don't know what happened during all those years." After a couple of seconds he sat again where he had been resting before.

Mali and Lea remained silent, absorbing Shell's words, it seemed that the only ones with answers were the two missing Witches, so until they turned up, the questions would have to wait. Some minutes later Liir reappeared in the clearing, his face still somber. He took a seat some feet away from them and the four companions waited in silence, each praying to the Unnamed God to keep Glinda and Elphaba safe.

_To be continued…_


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

* * *

_I uploaded three new chapters on this update, so be sure to read Chapters 15 and 16 before this one!_

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**Chapter 17 – Tribulations**

Elphaba flew the broom up into the clouds, trying to go as unnoticed as possible; it had been a couple of hours since they had left the prison. She had gone east for a long while before turning around and heading back west towards the meeting point where the others were supposed to be waiting for them; she had wanted to be cautious in case someone had spotted them after leaving Southstairs. She held Glinda close, flying with someone else was a new experience for her, and she didn't want to risk injuring her any farther. The blonde woman's death grip on her hadn't loosened a bit since they had taken off, the tears however, seemed to have stopped. But it worried Elphaba that the smaller woman hadn't uttered a single word since recovering consciousness in her cell at Southstairs.

"Glinda?" Elphaba called softly trying to get her attention, but she didn't get an answer from the blonde. Glinda just burrowed deeper into Elphaba's arms, and the raven-haired woman let her. This conversation could wait until they were back on solid ground. She wasn't even sure of what to tell Glinda if she started asking some of the questions that she would surely ask. She decided to enjoy the feeling of having her friend safely wrapped in her arms. Glinda was alright, and everything else would sort itself out.

She maneuvered the broom through the sky and flew towards the river, descending as to be able to scan the banks more easily. A couple of minutes later, she caught sight of movement in a small clearing and steered the broom in that direction, landing in the middle of the four people waiting there.

Shell was the first one to his feet and he hurried to their side taking the broom from Elphaba's hand so she could carry Glinda more easily while Lea and Mali made room for them near the small fire they had started in order to beat the night's freezing temperature. They had lighted it even though it could attract unwanted attention, the cold making the decision easy for them.

Elphaba carried Glinda to the tree closer to the fire and helped her sit up against its trunk. Now that she could see her friend's face thanks to the firelight she could appreciate how pale the blonde woman really was. She put her cloak tighter around Glinda's body and brushed some strands of hair behind the blonde's ear. "You've been awfully quiet." She said concerned, looking Glinda in the eye. "Are you alright?"

Glinda held her gaze for a moment, and Elphaba could see so many emotions running in her friend's eyes that it was hard for her not to look away. Anger, relief, confusion…for a second it looked like Glinda was going to say something, but in the end the blonde simply nodded and rested her head against the hard wood behind her, closing her eyes almost instantly. Elphaba tried not to feel hurt, she convinced herself that Glinda was just tired and not shutting her out on purpose, so she let her rest and went to sit by the fire where the others were already gathered. Liir didn't move from his position a couple of feet away from them, but Elphaba could feel his eyes boring into her even from a distance.

This was turning out to be one very long day. She had to explain so many things to so many people that she didn't even know where to begin. She let out a tired sigh; it had been too long since she had had to explain her actions to anyone and she wasn't sure if she wanted to start doing it now, but these people had risked their lives to help Glinda, and even if they hadn't, she knew that Shell and Liir deserved some answers. And Glinda, Oz knew that Glinda had every right to ask, ironically enough it looked like she was the less inclined to start questioning Elphaba, and she didn't know if she should feel relieved or disappointed about it.

"So you're alive." Lea couldn't help but smile at Mali's capacity to breach uncomfortable subjects. "I'm Mali, by the way, and she's Lea." The redhead said signaling her friend. "I guess the rest of you people already know each other, right?"

Elphaba nodded, and took a moment to look at Liir and at his brother before introducing herself to the ex-prisoners. "I'm Elphaba, but I'm sure you are more familiar with the more colorful names that I've been dubbed in the past." She said congenially, trying to bring some of the tension down. Mali smiled at her and then waited for someone else to keep the conversation going, she felt there were people there with questions far more pressing than hers; she could wait a little longer to satisfy her curiosity.

Shell couldn't help but offer a small smile at her sister's attempt to break the seriousness of the moment. "It's been too long, Phabs." Elphaba smirked at the use of the old nickname, the last time she had seen his brother he had been an unruly teenager, and now here he was, a grown man. A grown man with lots of questions, she was sure.

"I know I shouldn't have left without an explanation," she said to him, "but I did what I thought was best at the time."

Shell held her gaze for a moment. "I always knew you weren't happy with us," and then he looked away, "but I never knew how very little we meant to you."

She shouldn't be surprised, she had expected comments like this one. But even so, she couldn't help but feel hurt at Shell's words. _Did they really think that I didn't care about them?_ "It wasn't like that, I…" She tried to explain herself to him but Liir's bitter words cut her midsentence.

"You shouldn't be surprised Shell, family has never meant much to her at all." In an unusual act of defiance Liir looked straight at Elphaba's eyes, and he didn't back off. "I should know." If her brother's words had hurt her, Liir's ones rendered her speechless. She tried to hold Liir's stare, but she couldn't really say anything to him to change his mind so she just averted his gaze, he was right after all. She had never treated him as he had deserved, so what could she say to Liir now?

She had been right about one thing; she wasn't enjoying this situation, not one bit. She had had her reasons to act as she had acted in the past, and she shouldn't have to justify her actions to anyone, _damn it!_ She stood angrily, straightening her rumpled clothes in the process. "I think we should leave this conversation for a more appropriate time, Glinda needs to..." Once again she didn't get to finish her sentence as Glinda's angry voice carried to her ears.

"Don't you dare!" Five pairs of startled eyes turned to look at the blonde witch that all had believed resting a second ago. However, they found her with her eyes fully open and perfectly alert, looking furiously at Elphaba. "Don't you dare use me as an excuse to get out of this, Elphaba." The green woman couldn't help but flinch at the hardness of Glinda's voice. "What did you expect? You thought that you could waltz back into our lives and that would be it?" She was seething. "You really thought that after all that has happened we wouldn't have any questions for you?" Elphaba tried not to shrink away from her friend's harsh words, but it was difficult. "I don't know what you did to them, but I know how it felt to see you leaving me behind all those years ago!" Glinda was having some trouble breathing, but she didn't let it stop her. "I know how it felt to see you disappear before my eyes, Elphaba. I watched you die!" Tears were running down Glinda's cheeks. "Did you really think there wouldn't be questions?" Her voice sounded so small, all the fury gone from her weak body.

Elphaba just stood there, too stunned to move, her eyes fixed on Glinda's tear-streaked face. She saw the blonde woman's hand go up to her left temple, her eyes closing momentarily in pain and her head going back to rest against the tree once again. Elphaba went to her and kneeled beside her and just when she was about to touch Glinda's forehead, the blonde opened her eyes, fixing Elphaba with a hard stare. "Don't touch me." She said locking her blue eyes with Elphaba's. "I swear to Lurline if you come any closer I will slap you." She huffed. "I can't believe I've restrained myself this long."

Elphaba was about to move away after Glinda's warning when she saw another flash of pain crossing the blonde's face, and that stopped her in her tracks. "You know what?" She said seriously. "Slap me if it will make you feel better," she didn't waver while staring into Glinda's perplexed eyes, "but I'm taking care of those injuries whether you like it or not. So deal with it." And with that she extracted one of the curative oils from her bag and started applying it carefully over Glinda's injured temple. The blonde Witch eyed Elphaba with annoyance but let her work on her wound, she had to admit that it was soothing the pain away already.

"Don't even think this conversation is over, Elphaba Thropp." She directed a nasty look at Elphaba and then closed her eyes, trying to filter away the pain. Elphaba couldn't hold back the smile that graced her lips.

"I wouldn't dream of it, my sweet." And the little smile that passed over Glinda's face warmed Elphaba's heart for the first time in many years. There were still many questions that needed to be answered; she took a sidelong look at Liir, and many wrongs that needed to be righted. But for the first time in Oz knew how long, Elphaba felt that maybe, just maybe, there was still hope for all of them.

_To be continued…_

_So that's all for now, hopefully there will be more action in the following chapters, let's see how it goes._

_Please, let me know what you think. Every single comment helps with the writing, so press the green button over there and have at it, even if it is to tell me that the story royally sucks._

_Thanks for sticking around!_


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

* * *

_I wanted to say thank you to all the people that has taken the time to review the story, it helps a lot to read your comments. Also, thanks to those who keep reading it!_

_So here we go, moving on to the next chapter… enjoy!_

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**Chapter 18 - Breaches**

Glinda rested her head against the tree trunk and closed her eyes, trying not to squirm every time that Elphaba brushed the damp cloth over the wound in her temple. She was having some difficulties keeping at bay the feelings that were threatening to overwhelm her. After her outburst a couple of minutes ago, she was feeling drained, and now that Elphaba was beside her taking care of her injuries, Glinda didn't have any strength left to fight with the green woman, so she let her work in peace while she tried to regroup her emotions. As she had said to Elphaba, this discussion was far from over.

She hadn't been able to disguise the smile that had escaped her lips upon hearing Elphaba's answer to her statement; the mean green thing had always managed to get away with anything when it came to her. _But this time is different_, she said to herself, _this time a snarky comment or a term of endearment isn't going to be enough to smooth things over_.

Memories of all the heartbreak she had endured during these years, and specially over the past few months clouded her mind once again and she almost pulled away from her friend's caring touch, but she was in pain, and Elphaba was making it better, so she held her troubled feelings in check.

She could hear the low voices of the two women and Shell talking around the bonfire. Glinda didn't know who they were, but she could recognize their voices, they had comforted her when she had been suffering. The boy was still some feet away from the rest of the group, Glinda didn't know who he was either, but his words made clear to her that he knew who Elphaba was. She let a sigh escape her lips; her head was still too fuzzy to be troubling it with all this thinking. When the pounding in her head seemed to lessen to a more bearable degree, she opened her eyes once again, finding Elphaba's mere inches away from hers.

"Better?" The raven-haired woman asked, not averting her gaze from Glinda's eyes in case the blonde decided to play brave.

"Much better." Glinda answered softly, and she really meant it. A couple of minutes ago she had thought she was going to pass out from the pain.

"The oils will deal with the pain and help with the infection, but I can't do anything about the gash, it will have to heal on its own." Elphaba said, while gently tracing the edges of the cut on the blonde's forehead. Glinda simply nodded, closing her eyes again, she didn't want to deal with all this emotional stuff right now. She was really tired and all she wanted to do was crawl into a soft bed and sleep for a week. Her stomach chose that moment to make its needs known to all the members of the small party and Glinda's eyes shot open in embarrassment.

Elphaba didn't even try to hide the smirk on her face. "Still a bottomless pit, I see." She muttered pointing at the blonde's stomach. Her remark earned her an evil look from Glinda and a swat in her forearm. The hiss of pain escaped Elphaba's lips before she could censor herself, and Glinda looked at her with worry, she hadn't hit her all that hard.

"Are you alright?" She asked, and Lea, who had watched the scene from afar, spoke before the green woman could deny anything.

"She is hurt, but she didn't let us get a look at it when we were back in the cell."

Elphaba just shrugged. "It's nothing. Really, just a…"

Glinda didn't let her finish and grabbed her arm instead. "Let me see." The blonde woman lifted the sleeve covering Elphaba's arm and gasped in surprise. "Oh, Elphie." The emerald skin was covered in red angry marks. Elphaba disentangled her arm from Glinda's grasp and covered it once again.

"I'm alright, really. I'll take care of it once we are safe, don't worry." But Glinda was having none of it, she took Elphaba's other arm before the woman could get away from her and squeezed it gently, at Elphaba's painful moan she tilted her head and eyed her seriously.

"That doesn't sound alright to me." She released the arm she was holding. "Where else?" She demanded. Elphaba tried to get up and away from Glinda's scrutinizing gaze, but the blonde woman grabbed her hand before she could stand. "Elphaba, please, it's obvious that you are in pain, let me…"

Elphaba interrupted her. "I promise I'll let you fuss over it all you want when we are someplace safe, but now we need to get going." Elphaba saw Glinda's expressive face shut down again, the blonde woman simply nodded, letting go of Elphaba's hand.

"So what's the plan now?" Shell asked, trying to diffuse some of the tension by changing the subject. Elphaba smiled gratefully at his brother.

"I'm not really sure. I didn't exactly have a plan. Well, I did have one, but it ended once I got Glinda out of Southstairs." She huffed. "I didn't plan on getting spotted by the Gale Force or…"

"…or by any of us, am I right?" Glinda's words felt like a slap to Elphaba. "You weren't planning on sticking around. Get in, get me out, and you would be done with it, with me. Out of our lives again with all of us none the wiser." The disappointment was evident in Glinda's voice. "Well, I'm sorry we screwed up your plans. But by all means, run along. Thank you for getting me out of there, now you can go crawl back under whatever rock you've been hiding under all these years."

"What is wrong with you?" Elphaba spat the words at Glinda and stood, too keyed up to remain sitting on the ground.

"What is wrong with me? Oh, that's grand, Elphaba!" Glinda faced the other Witch while using the trunk behind her to help herself up. "You! You are what is wrong with me. What has always been wrong with me!" She was so angry, so very angry that all thoughts of tiredness left her mind. "You and your idiotic ways, always blowing everything out of proportion and acting without thinking! That's what is wrong with me!" She was screaming in Elphaba's face, a part of her perfectly aware of the fact that she was the one losing it this time, but she was past the point of caring.

"Sometimes you can't sit around and wait for everything to fall on your lap Glinda, that's not how the world works! Sometimes you have to make rash decisions, and I made mine. I also seem to recall you making yours." Elphaba wasn't sure if it was the slap or the fury in Glinda's eyes what made her take a step back.

"You took that decision for me!" Elphaba was flabbergasted.

"What?" Was all she managed to say.

Glinda's deep blue eyes were full of tears, but she didn't let them fall. "I wanted to leave with you. I wanted to be brave and do the right thing, fight the good cause. I just needed some time to wrap my head around the idea after what happened with The Wizard, but you," she growled, "you just came to the carriage and fed me some stupid lines and then left me there. You left me there, Elphaba! So I'm sorry if I wasn't as quick as you were to make such a life changing decision," she said dejectedly, "Oz knows it was easy enough for you to leave me behind without as much as a tear in your eye. But that doesn't change the fact that it was you Elphaba, and your decision, not mine." Glinda tried to get past Elphaba and away from the group, the reality of what had happened crashing into her and the embarrassment for making such a scene making her feel very stupid and vulnerable. She hadn't even gotten two feet away when she felt the dizziness take over.

"Glinda!" And just when she was about to collide with the ground she felt strong arms enveloping her.

"You are so wrong." she heard Elphaba's words and felt her friend cradling her. She wanted to let go, let Elphaba take care of her and pretend that everything was fine, but she couldn't do it.

"Let go of me." She lashed out, and she felt Elphaba's arms letting her go reluctantly.

"Glinda, please." But the blonde woman ignored Elphaba's plea and moved to the nearest tree where she sat resting her back against it.

"I don't want to talk about this right now. You said we needed to find someplace safe, so let's think how to do that." Glinda's voice was all business, not a trace of her trademark sweetness in it and Elphaba could only nod, knowing that even though they had so much to talk about, now wasn't going to be that time.

_To be continued…_

_I know, I know. Glinda is in a bad place right now, but can you really blame her? Besides, things can only go up from here, right?_

_Thanks for reading, and please, let me know what you think. Questions, comments...all of them will be appreciated ;)_


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

* * *

_As always, special thanks to all those people who take the time to review the story, I really appreciate it._

_Chapters 19, 20 and 21 are now up. I hope you enjoy!**

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**Chapter 19 - Arguments**

The group, including Liir, had gathered around the bonfire during the fight, trying to go as unnoticed as it was possible given the circumstances; and even though she had tried not to eavesdrop, Mali could now say that her curiosity had been more than satisfied. Now that silence reigned again in the clearing, it was evident that everyone was feeling a bit awkward. She could see how embarrassed Lady Glinda was feeling for losing her temper like that in front of strangers, so Mali did what she did best, try and get everyone thinking about something else. And right now, getting out of there was in her opinion the best subject to broach.

"How are we going to do this?" She began. "Because the sun has been up for a couple of hours now, and I'm thinking the longer we stay near the city the worse our chances of getting away undetected are. So…" Mali left her sentence unfinished and looked around her, hoping that one of the others would offer some ideas on the matter.

Elphaba, who had been pacing up and down, went to sit by the fire beside Mali; so far, the red-haired woman was the only person in the group who hadn't tried to rip her head off, so she thought it would be safe. "There's a mauntery not far from here," Elphaba informed the others, "we could try to get there and at least spend the night. We can think about what to do once we are all well fed and rested." She just hoped the maunts would help them out.

"Why would a bunch of maunts give shelter to a group like ours?" Lea was the one to pose the question. "I mean, the more likely scenario is that they will call for the soldiers once they find out that The Wicked Wi…ouch!" Lea looked incredulously at Mali and rubbed the spot on her arm that the older woman had pinched. "As I was saying," she continued while giving Mali the evil eye.

"I know what you mean, Lea." Elphaba interrupted her. "But they won't do that, they know me. Even if they refuse to shelter us, they won't send for the soldiers." Or so she hoped. She remembered The Superior Maunt words… '_Should she wish to return at any point, we would take her in. She is one of us.'_

Liir got up and started gathering his belongings; the rest of the group just watched him with curiosity.

"Where are you going?" Elphaba asked.

"Back to the barracks, hopefully they haven't realized I'm gone yet. And if they have, well, I'll think of something." All of them were looking at him as if the boy had lost his mind, but again, it was Elphaba the one who spoke.

"No, you are not." She said seriously.

"Excuse me?" Liir held Elphaba's stare now that she was standing to be face to face with the boy.

"I said you are not going back there. It's too dangerous." Not that long ago, Liir would have lowered his head in submission, too afraid to cross the woman before him, but he wasn't that person anymore.

"Too bad you don't have any say in what I can or cannot do." He retorted.

Elphaba was getting tired of this. _Is it the 'pick on the green woman's day' or what?_ "Are you stupid?" Liir hadn't been expecting that question, so he stood there dumbfounded. "I'm merely asking because you must be really stupid if you think they haven't noticed your absence yet, and more so if you haven't realized that you are probably a suspect for helping these prisoners out of Southstairs."

Liir didn't budge. "It's not your decision." He said.

Shell, seeing the animosity in Liir's stance tried to smooth things over. "Liir, I think she's right. You've been missing for hours now, and there's been an escape from the prison. You probably are a suspect by now."

Liir thought about Shell's words, but didn't want to give in. "We don't know for sure, and I could be of help to you if I'm on the inside. We have to try."

"I said no!" Elphaba was fuming. They didn't have time for this, and so far all they had been doing for the past two hours had been discussing matters that could perfectly wait for a better time, _enough is enough_. "I don't care how pissed at me you all are, even you," she said addressing a surprised Mali, "I'm sure you'll probably find something if you look hard enough, but this nonsense ends here." She took the time to look each one of them in the eyes and then spoke with chilling calm. "We are heading to the mauntery, where we will rest and think about what to do. That's the only thing that matters now. I don't care about your reservations, your feelings of abandonment or betrayal or whatever it is that you are feeling." She said to them. "Right now, our only concern is to get Glinda safely to that place, and once we are there then we'll chat about how you knew that Glinda was going to be killed today," she said looking at Liir, not taking notice of the terrified look that crossed Glinda's eyes. "Or maybe about the reasons for you two to be incarcerated in the first place," this time she looked at the two cellmates, "perhaps even about Shell's nocturnal trips to Southstairs." She finished, staring at her brother. "Once there, all of you can yell at me to your hearts' content, but right now, we are leaving. And no," she turned again towards Liir before the boy could speak, "you are not going back there, it doesn't matter if you can get us the inside scoop. Your life is far more important than that. And I'm not risking it." With that, Elphaba went to where Glinda was resting and took her in her arms, the blonde woman too stunned to even protest; she walked away leaving four bewildered people behind.

Shell was the first one to recover from the shock; he put his arm around Liir's shoulders and said to him. "You better do as she says, my boy, she can be impossible when she gets in one of her moods." And they followed after the two Witches, with Lea and Mali close behind.

_To be continued…_


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

* * *

_I uploaded three new chapters on this update, so be sure to read Chapter 19 before this one!**

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**_

**Chapter 20 – Lies**

"My fellow citizens," The Emperor addressed the crowd gathered on the Palace courtyard, "I know you've been worried these past few days. I've been worried too." He said feigning concern. "Our dear Glinda The Good, has been missing now for almost a week," he had to suppress a smirk at the gasps of surprise that erupted from the people beneath him, "and I wish I could bring you better news, but I'm afraid the news I bear today are far from positive."

Captain Taldin was squirming a couple of feet behind The Emperor, _this man is so twisted it makes my skin crawl_. However, he tried to veil his dislike for the man and endure his speech. He knew first hand what happened when you got in this sociopath's bad side.

"As I was saying," The Emperor proceeded with his speech, "Lady Glinda has been missing. But after our Force's diligent work, we can now say that we know what happened to her." He made a pause for effect, and the crowd waited anxiously for his next words. _He is enjoying this situation way too much_, thought Taldin. "Our dear Glinda has been kidnapped."

The crowd went wild after hearing this news, shouting questions at The Emperor. "What?...by whom?...kidnapped? That's ridiculous!"

The Emperor raised his hands to quiet the crowd. "I know it's difficult to believe, but the facts are indisputable. Lady Glinda was taken hostage and all the staff that worked on the Chuffrey's Residence has been slaughtered."

Taldin couldn't hold the shiver that run through his body. The Emperor knew perfectly well that many of the people in the crowd had family members working on that place, but he just wanted to incite them, make them feel helpless so he could control them, this man was a monster and the worst part was that Taldin had no other choice but to obey him, no questions asked.

Many screams of agony were heard from the mass of people gathered on the courtyard. "I know these are difficult news to hear," he almost sounded compassionate, almost, "but we know who's responsible for these vile deeds." At his words, the crowd went silent and waited for the villain's name to be revealed. A man dared even ask the question himself.

"Who did this?" And this time, The Emperor really did have to restrain the smile for coming to his lips. Instead, he transformed it in an expression of utter hatred.

"The Wicked Witch of the West!" He shouted to the crowd, and everyone stood stock-still, not comprehending how this was possible. "We were fooled into believing her dead. That little girl tricked us and now we are paying for that mistake. But fear not, my good citizens," he spoke encouragingly to them, "this time, I'll make sure that she gets what she deserves. We'll see her burn before our eyes!"

"Yes! We want vengeance!" The crowd was going mad.

"Poor Glinda!" Others were saying, and Captain Taldin could see how The Emperor was enjoying every minute of it.

"You want vengeance, and vengeance you should have. I promise you!" And with that, The Emperor turned around and went to the double doors leading to the Palace's Great Hall, the shouts of the crowd still ringing in his ears. Before entering, he stopped beside Taldin, addressing him coldly. "Now, you do your job, Captain. Find that damned book." He took a step closer and fixed the man with a hard stare. "And find those fugitives. I don't want to have to repeat these orders, am I making myself clear?"

Taldin nodded, and The Emperor went inside leaving the Captain behind. He hadn't found the courage to tell His Highness that maybe one of his own men had helped in the escape from Southstairs. One of the younger soldiers was missing, _and for the prisoners to have attempted an escape just when they were about to be executed…_he didn't want to remember those orders, he had been involved in far too many deaths lately and his soul was starting to feel the damage. Everything was too coincidental. The boy must have known somehow, but why would he help them out? Taldin went inside, he would have to think about this more calmly, he was sure he was missing something.

_To be continued…_


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

* * *

_I uploaded three new chapters on this update, so be sure to read Chapters 19 and 20 before this one!

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_

**Chapter 21 – Giving In**

They had been walking for the better part of three hours now, and Glinda could see how tiredness was taking hold of Elphaba. The blonde woman hadn't uttered a word since they had left the clearing, too immersed in her thoughts, but now that she had processed most of those feelings in her head, she had become very aware of the fact that Elphaba had been carrying her for hours, and she was sure the poor woman had to be feeling really tired.

She couldn't believe how selfishly she had been acting. Of course she had tons of reason to be mad at Elphaba, there was no question about that, but her friend had risked her life to help her, not only at Southstairs but also before. The burns in Elphaba's arms spoke for themselves. Glinda knew that even though it was going to be difficult, she had to put her feelings aside for the time being, at least until they got to that mauntery Elphaba had talked about.

"I think I need to take a break." Glinda said quietly, startling Elphaba who had been lost in her thoughts as well and hadn't been expecting any words from her companion.

"Are you feeling dizzy again?" Elphaba asked.

"Yeah." Glinda lied. She knew that Elphaba needed to rest for a bit, and she was sure the green woman wouldn't consent unless it was for someone else's sake. Elphaba nodded and went towards a bunch of stones that where beneath the shadows of some trees, helping Glinda down so she could rest against them.

Shell and Liir kept their distance from the four women sitting some feet away from them; they stood alert, looking out for potential threats. The long walk had been a silent one, with Liir still pissed for having been told what to do. "So what's the story with you two?" Shell asked trying to break the ice, he wasn't sure he could stand another two-hour walk with the sulking boy as his only company.

"I don't really know." Liir shrugged. "I grew up with her, back at Kiamo Ko." Shell had a pretty good idea of what the real story between Elphaba and the boy was, but he chose to keep it to himself, simply nodding at Liir's words.

"What about you two?" Now it was Liir's turn to question him.

"Well, as you might have guessed, she's my sister." Liir assented. "And that's pretty much the story, I hadn't seen her in years." At Liir's disappointed look, Shell tried to elaborate a bit more. "She was alright. As far as sisters go, I mean." He smiled fondly at memories of his childhood. "I don't know what happened to her, she has changed." Shell looked sadly at her sister's resting figure. Liir didn't feel like contributing to the conversation, as far as he knew, Elphaba had always been like this, bitter and detached.

Half an hour later Elphaba approached Glinda. "Are you feeling better?"

"What?" The blonde woman, who had been dozing off, opened her eyes and looked at Elphaba with confusion.

Elphaba eyed Glinda carefully. "Your dizziness?"

Glinda's eyes opened wide in recognition, and she nodded quickly. "Oh yes, I'm feeling better now. Much better."

Elphaba didn't take her eyes off Glinda's face. "Glinda?" She said drawling the blonde's name.

"Yes?" The smaller Witch tried to look innocently at Elphaba.

"You were feeling dizzy, right?" Elphaba's tone held a warning in it.

"Would you have stopped if I hadn't been feeling dizzy?" Glinda asked, and Elphaba considered the question before answering.

"No, probably not."

Glinda stuck her chin up in defiance and answered. "Then I was feeling positively nauseous."

Elphaba couldn't help but smile at her friend, and she didn't even felt annoyed at the snickering coming from the other two women sitting close by, maybe some bridges could be mended after all. "Come on." She said, picking Glinda up in her arms again. "Let's get going before it gets dark, we should be there in an hour or so."

Glinda tried to look dignified while being carried around as a baby. "I can walk, you know?" She said huffily, and Elphaba looked at her with a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"Oh, but I thought you were feeling positively ill, Miss Glinda." And this time it wasn't just a snicker but a full out laugh what they heard behind them.

Glinda held onto Elphaba and rested her head in the other Witch's shoulder, allowing to be carried in Elphaba's arms. She smiled to herself and just whispered. "You terrible mean thing."

_To be continued…_

_Well, that's it for now. I'll try to update soon._

_Please, let me know what you think._

_Thanks for reading!_


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I've decided to take _**broomvsbubble's**_ advice, so I'm done apologizing for my English! Just kidding, I still apologize for any mistakes, but I won't mention it any longer...anyway, please don't hesitate in pointing out any errors that you may spot, I would appreciate it ;)

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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_Thanks to all the readers and reviewers, your opinions are very important for the development of the story, so please…keep them coming!

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_

**Chapter 22 – Healing**

As Elphaba had predicted, not an hour later they arrived at the doors of the mauntery that had been Elphaba's home for so many years. Just being there brought back so many bitter memories that she had to take a deep breath to steady herself. Glinda noticed the change in her friend's mood.

"Are you alright?" She asked, lifting her head from its resting place. Elphaba nodded, but Glinda could see that her eyes had clouded over. "You can lower me down now. I think I can make it inside."

Elphaba just walked to the doors ignoring Glinda's comment. "I'll do that once we are inside and a bed has been assigned to you." Glinda looked at her friend with annoyance. "And don't give me that look Glinda, I've seen you struggling to stay awake all the way here."

Glinda didn't get the chance to deny it because not a second later a Maunt appeared at the door, regarding the party with curious eyes. When they finally fell on Elphaba's figure she recoiled as if she had just seen a ghost. "Sister Saint Aelphaba!" The Superior Maunt said and a smile of recognition spread across the Sister's face. "I never thought I'd see the day; they said you were dead!"

Glinda was looking from Elphaba's face to The Maunt's, _has she just called Elphaba…Sister? _Elphaba simply smiled at the maunt, she would deal with the astonished Glinda later. "Many things were said about me, Sister. I hope you know not all of them were true." The hope in her voice was evident, as was the surprise in The Superior Maunt's face upon hearing the voice of the once silent Sister.

"Of course not, my dear child." She said smiling at Elphaba, and then, as if noticing for the first time the woman in Elphaba's arms she motioned for them to enter. "Well, come on in, you look like you could use a good night's sleep."

They followed the maunt inside; the woman was already giving instructions to some of the younger girls. She addressed them after sending the young mounts away. "I'm afraid you'll have to sleep in pairs, we don't have enough room." She sounded uncomfortable, so Elphaba spoke to put the Superior Maunt's mind at ease.

"We just need some place to rest for the night, we don't mind sharing our accommodations, right?" She asked looking at the others, who quickly nodded in return.

"We are grateful for your hospitality, Sister." Lea said. "Whatever you can offer will be alright."

The Maunt smiled relieved, and then took a closer look at Glinda. "I assume the Lady may be in need of some medical assistance?" She directed the question at Elphaba, but it was Glinda who answered.

"I'm alright, Sister. I think that some food and a couple of hours of sleep will do wonders for me." She said sweetly. "Sister Aelphaba, however…"

Elphaba interrupted Glinda before she could finish her words. "That's alright, then." The raven-haired woman said. "If you could just show us to our cell, we would really appreciate it." Glinda was about to protest, but the pleading look in Elphaba's eyes made her think better of it.

"Very well." The Maunt said, not having noticed the tension between the two women. "Follow me." And she walked out of the hall. Elphaba spared a look to the other members of her group. "Don't worry, Sister Aelphaba. The maunts will show your friends to their accommodations." The Superior Maunt walked through a long corridor, and then down a set of stairs, until she stopped in front of a wooden door. "I thought you would be more comfortable in your old cell, Sister." She opened the door and motioned the two witches inside. "We'll be serving dinner in two hours." She informed them. "But of course, if you are feeling tired, you don't have to attend. We can bring some food down."

Glinda smiled gratefully at the Maunt. "We'll be attending dinner, Sister. Thank you for your concern, but I think we just need to rest for a while and freshen up a bit."

The Maunt nodded and went to the door. "Alright, then. I'll leave you to it." She was about to leave but spoke one last time before crossing the threshold. "Maybe during dinner you can explain a little…" She left her sentence unfinished, and Elphaba understood the meaning behind the Maunt's words.

"Of course. Thank you, Sister." Elphaba said, and the Maunt just smiled and made a dismissing gesture with her hand. She closed the door behind her, leaving two very uncomfortable women behind.

Elphaba lowered Glinda to one of the beds in the small room, and then went to the other one, where she sat clenching and unclenching her fists. This wasn't like her at all; she didn't get nervous. But it had been one thing to be with Glinda in the presence of four other people, and another completely different to be alone with her; she dared take a look at the blonde woman, who at least seemed as unsettled as she was. Just when she was about to say something to fill the uncomfortable silence, Glinda beat her to it.

"I guess I could start asking you all kinds of compromising questions," Elphaba opened her mouth to speak, but Glinda held out her hand to stop her, "but I think we should take care of your injuries first." Elphaba looked relieved. She nodded her agreement and then started taking some oils from her bag, placing them over the nightstand between the two small beds.

Glinda saw Elphaba drench a cloth with one of the oils and she stood and went to sit by her friend's side. "Let me." she said softly, taking the cloth from Elphaba's hand. She rolled up Elphaba's sleeve up to where she could see burned skin, and she had to hold back a gasp. The once emerald skin was now an angry red. She put the cloth to the arm, gently, and this time it was Elphaba who had to conceal a hiss of pain from escaping her lips, she couldn't hide the flinch though.

Glinda looked at her sorrowfully. "Does it hurt a lot?" She asked, and Elphaba was about to answer that it didn't when she saw the unguarded look in her friend's eyes, she was done keeping things from Glinda.

"It hurts, but I'll live." She answered trying to bring some humor to the conversation, but she failed. Glinda spread the oil over the burnt skin, and when she was done with both arms, she lifted her gaze to Elphaba's eyes.

"Where else?" It was more a statement than a question, and Elphaba sighed, feeling really vulnerable letting Glinda take care of her injuries like this. That's why she hadn't wanted Sister Doctor to look at her burns; her green skin had always made her feel self-conscious. But the look in the blonde woman's eyes left no room for discussion, so she pulled her black frock up a little and answered.

"My legs." Glinda lowered herself to the ground and took hold of Elphaba's right leg. "The cape kept out most of the rain, but my arms and legs were a bit more exposed while flying." Elphaba explained; Glinda's eyes bulged open and she stopped her gentle oil rubbing over the burnt skin.

"You flew?" Glinda swallowed hard. "You flew in the rain?" Her voice was like that of a scared child.

"Well, I had to get to you." Elphaba's answered. "And it was raining, so I didn't have many options." The green-skinned woman was trying to be humorous again, but the smirk dropped quickly from her face when she saw the tears falling from Glinda's eyes; the blonde Witch started rubbing the oil over Elphaba's calves gently once again, not speaking. "I'm alright, Glinda, really. Please don't cry." Elphaba didn't know what to do, so she just let her take care of the injuries. Glinda didn't seem to have heard her, she was silent while applying the soothing oil, and when she was finished she put the cloth over the nightstand and remained kneeling on the floor, sniffing and looking miserable.

"Glinda, please." She tried to catch the blonde woman's eye. "Look at me." And when Glinda did look up, the lost look in those blue eyes almost made Elphaba take the smaller woman in her arms, but she wasn't sure her actions would be well received.

"You were hurt." Glinda said softly. "You could have killed yourself, Elphaba; don't tell me this is alright." Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"You were hurt, too." Elphaba said looking in Glinda's eyes with affection. "And yes, I've got burnt," she added seriously, "but I would do it again, a thousand times over. They almost…" Elphaba's speech was interrupted when she found her arms full with a crying Glinda, holding her in a tight embrace, "…killed you." She finished when the air got back into her lungs, the blonde woman was hugging her fiercely. She hadn't been expecting that, but it felt too good to let it bother her, so she just held onto her friend.

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, until finally Glinda pulled back from the embrace, embarrassed by her outburst. "I'm sorry," she said laughingly, drying the tears from her eyes, "my emotions seem to be all over the place." She sniffed. Elphaba just smiled, and reached out to dry a tear from Glinda's cheek, not letting the blonde woman see the little burn that appeared in her finger.

"You don't have to apologize, Glinda." She said. "You've been through a lot lately." Glinda smiled, but the smile disappeared quickly from her face when she remembered where they were and the reason for them to be here. Not to mention who was sharing the cell with her.

"I guess we do have a lot to talk about." She said, taking hold of Elphaba's hand and squeezing it gently. Elphaba stared at their intertwined hands and let out a relieved sigh.

"I guess we do." She answered, and squeezed Glinda's hand back. She knew it would be a difficult conversation, but now she was sure that it would be alright in the end.

_To be continued…_

_So that's it for now. I know this chapter was a bit of a filler, but it had to be done. I'll try to update as soon as possible, but in the meantime, please let me know what you think._

_Thanks for reading!_


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: Please don't hesitate in pointing out any mistakes that you may spot, I would appreciate it ;)

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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_Sorry for the delay._

_Also, thanks to my kind reviewers for their nice words. Your comments make me want to keep the story going!_

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**Chapter 23 – Making Friends**

Glinda was resting in her bed when a knock at the room's door woke her from her slumber. Elphaba was at the door before she could even sit up, and when she opened it, The Superior Maunt came into the room carrying some clothes in her arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said looking at a sleepy Glinda apologetically. "I didn't know you were still resting, I can come back later."

The blonde woman shook her head at the offer and stood from the bed. "It's alright, Sister." She offered a small smile to the Maunt. "I should be getting ready for dinner anyway." The Sister returned the smile and then offered one of the pieces of clothing to Glinda.

"That's why I came down, I figured you would be more comfortable in something else." She said signaling the small prison gown the Witch was still wearing.

Glinda took the offered garment gratefully. She couldn't wait to get off the filthy thing she had been dressed on at Southstairs; even a maunt's habit was looking glamorous at the moment. "Thank you," she added sincerely, "I really appreciate what you are doing for us, Sister." She reached out a hand and squeezed the Maunt's arm gently. The Sister blushed a little and shook her head, trying to play down the importance of her actions.

"Anyway, I thought you would look a little less out of place wearing these, so…" she extended the other habit to Elphaba who had been just watching the scene before her, "I brought one for you as well, Sister Aelphaba." The raven-haired Witch just took the dress and looked at it uncomfortably. "I'm afraid your male friends will have to go with the clothes they were wearing when they came in." She offered a smile to Elphaba. "Somehow, I don't think that a maunt's habit would help in drawing attention away from them." Glinda stifled a giggle upon imagining Shell and the boy dressed as maunts, Elphaba simply nodded, lost in her thoughts. Being back in the mauntery was playing havoc with her emotions.

"I'm happy to see that young Liir has turned out to be such a lovely young man." The Superior Maunt said looking at Elphaba, but the Witch kept staring at the habit she was holding in her hands.

"I didn't have much to do with that." Was Elphaba's quiet answer.

"You know Master Liir?" Glinda asked the Maunt intrigued, finally learning the boy's name.

"Of course I do, my dear. He was born here." The Sister replied happily, but when she turned to Elphaba, the look in the green-skinned woman's face told her that she had said too much. Feeling a bit awkward, the Sister went to the door. "Alright then," she said cheerfully, "I'll let you girls get ready. Dinner will be served shortly." And she left the room.

Glinda was dying to ask Elphaba some of the questions that had been bugging her since they had left Southstairs, but the stormy look in the deep brown eyes of her friend made her keep a tight rein on her curiosity. She knew Elphaba would talk to her when she was ready. "So," she said holding up her new habit, "should we mauntify ourselves?" She asked to a pensive Elphaba, and she got a crooked smile in return.

"How do you come up with these words, Glinda?" The smaller woman just beamed at her.

"Why, Miss Elphaba. I think I might have a talent." Elphaba just shook her head amused by her friend's antics, and then proceeded to, as Glinda had put it, mauntify herself.

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Half an hour later, they arrived at the dining room, with a still unsteady Glinda holding onto Elphaba's arm. Most of the maunts were already sitting ready for dinner, and their small party was occupying one end of the large table. Glinda sat beside Liir, and Elphaba took the sit next to hers with Lea, Mali and Shell sitting opposite them.

"I think we haven't been properly introduced." The blonde woman said with a smile, holding out her hand to Liir. "I'm Glinda."

The boy took the offered hand and shook it gently, his ears coloring slightly. "I'm Liir." He said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Glinda." He added courteously, and Glinda looked at him with amusement before speaking again.

"Just Glinda it's fine." She added. "After all, you risked your life to save mine; and though I don't know why you did it, I'm still grateful." She gave the hand she was still holding a squeeze before releasing it, and Liir's blush extended to the rest of his face.

Elphaba had been watching the exchange between Glinda and Liir with interest, and now that it was finished she took the opportunity to introduce Glinda to the rest of the group. "Well, since we are all getting acquainted with each other, I should introduce you to Mali and Lea." She signaled each woman in turn, and Glinda smiled at them, getting a small wave and a smile in return. "They were your cellmates at…"

Glinda interrupted Elphaba. "I know. I recognized their voices." She looked at both women with gratitude. "You kept me company in a very difficult time, I don't know how I'll ever repay you." Her words were sincere, and both women looked flustered with the compliment.

"It was nothing, Lady Glinda." Mali was the one who spoke first.

"We are just happy to see that you are getting better." Lea added, and Glinda fixed them with a hard stare.

"It was something," she said, "I've never felt so helpless in my life, and you two made it bearable, so don't underestimate your kindness." She softened her stare with a smile. "And please, do call me Glinda. All that 'Lady' stuff makes me feel really old." The ex-prisoners nodded, and accepted Glinda's gratitude with a smile of their own.

"And Shell," Glinda finally addressed the man sitting right opposite her, "I have to say it is quite a surprise to see you participating in this small rescuing party."

Elphaba detected some reproach under Glinda's sweetly spoken words, but she thought it would be better to leave the questions for later. Shell turned a bit red, and Elphaba had to stifle a snicker at the effect Glinda had on people. In less than a minute she had managed to make all those surrounding her blush to some degree.

"Still," the blonde Witch continued, "I'm really happy to see you." She offered him a warm smile, and Shell returned one in kind.

"I'm glad to see you recovering, Glinda."

A second later, The Superior Maunt entered the dining hall, taking a sit at the front of the table, where Elphaba's group had been seated. She offered a thankful prayer to the Unnamed God and then prompted everyone to eat, centering her attention back onto the six newcomers gracing her table.

"Are you feeling better, Lady Glinda?" She addressed the blonde woman gently, and Glinda had to hide the surprise at having been recognized by the Maunt, she didn't even bother telling the old woman to drop the honorific, she knew it would do no good. She smiled kindly at the good Maunt.

"I'm feeling much better, thank you Sister."

The Maunt seemed pleased with Glinda's answer. She addressed Elphaba next. "Should I alert my maunts of an oncoming danger, Sister Aelphaba?" She asked seriously, with no ill will intended. She was an old woman, but she wasn't a fool. If the former ruler of Oz showed up at her doorstep barely able to stand on her own feet…well, let's just say she thought she should be prepared, just in case Oz was getting ready for a new mad spree.

"I'm sorry to have barged in like this, Sister." Elphaba did look contrite. "I would have preferred to leave you out of this situation, but we needed a place to rest, and…"

The Superior Maunt patted Elphaba's hand gently. "Don't worry yourself, dear. I'm merely asking because, somehow, I had the feeling that this wasn't a courtesy visit."

Elphaba took a deep breath. "It isn't." She said seriously, "I won't give you many details," and at the Maunt's hurt expression, Elphaba added, "for your own protection, Sister. But I can tell you The Emperor is behind this." She said pointing at Glinda's still visible wounds. Elphaba's words didn't veil the profound dislike she felt for a man she had yet to meet.

"Something is terribly wrong in Oz, Sister." Glinda was the one to speak this time, and the Maunt nodded her assent.

"I know, we've been noticing strange things lately. And just when everything seemed to be getting back to normal." The Sister words were sadly spoken. "Anyway, let's just eat, and then you can rest and recover from your journey." She smiled encouragingly at them, and then turned to Elphaba once more. "I won't ask any more questions on the matter, Sister Aelphaba. Just know that you can stay here for as long as you need to. We are happy to have you."

Elphaba knew the words were sincerely spoken; she looked gratefully at The Superior Maunt, hoping against hope that her decision hadn't put this kind woman and her maunts in danger.

_To be continued…_

_I'll try to update as soon as possible, though the scorching heat seems to have fried my muse's brain :(_

_As always, thanks for reading. You are the ones keeping the story alive, really!_


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Authors Note**: Please don't hesitate in pointing out any mistakes you may spot, I would appreciate it ;)

Feedback is very welcome: good, bad or in between...

* * *

_First of all, I have to apologize for the incredibly long time it has taken me to update. I'm sorry for letting it go un-updated for so long. _

_Truth be told, my inspiration run out with this story, and I wasn't sure anymore of what I wanted to do with it. It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that plots and ideas came rushing back to me, so here I am again. I hope you are still interested, and hopefully updates will be more regular than before. We'll start with a small one, but more will follow :)_

_As always, thanks for reading._

_(I made some changes in the previous chapters, mostly editing stuff...I thought I should let you know)_

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**Chapter 24 - Discussions**

After dinner, The Superior Maunt directed the group to a small meeting room so they would have some privacy. Glinda and Elphaba took one of the sofas, while Shell and Liir sat in the armchairs near the fireplace, leaving the other couch for the ex-prisoners. The room was warm, but the tension filling the air made the warmness all but disappear. Everyone was staring at the floor, not knowing how to broach the subject now that they had the time to talk about it.

Elphaba broke the silence herself. "Alright, now that we are well fed, and somehow rested…" she said taking a sidelong look at Glinda who had been touching her left temple a lot during dinner, "well, as I said earlier, if someone has any questions I'll try to answer them as best as I can." She finished, waiting for the first question to be fired, and quite surprised when it didn't come from the blonde sitting next to her.

"What are we going to do now?" Lea was the first one to ask; her question left the green witch a little perplexed, she had been expecting a more personal subject. The brown-haired woman seemed to realize Elphaba's confusion. "I really don't have any questions for you. The reasons for faking your death concern you and yours only." She said affably. "The only thing that mattered to me was to know you weren't the Wicked Witch everyone made you out to be, and I don't need to ask you anything to know that you definitely aren't. So as far as I'm concerned, we are alright."

Mali nodded in agreement with her friend. "Same here."

Elphaba accepted their gesture bowing her head in gratitude, but she knew things wouldn't be so easy with her three other companions.

"And just to clear the air completely," Mali continued, "I want you people to know the reason for our imprisonment." The red-haired woman said sadly. "We worked for a Doctor who still tended to Animals. One day the soldiers came by, and…" Lea placed a comforting hand over her shoulder.

"At least, they just threw us in Southstairs," the young woman added with bitterness, "poor Dr. Lampert wasn't so lucky."

"So it is true, then." Glinda said defeated. "The Emperor just took over where The Wizard left off. I knew he was a bastard, but I never thought…"

Her words were left hanging and Glinda seemed lost in her own thoughts for a moment so Elphaba chose that moment to return to the conversation. "Who is this Emperor, anyway?" And seeing the confused faces, she tried to elaborate. "What I mean is, where did he come from? Who was this man before he was 'elected'?" Elphaba stood and started pacing the room, trying to think. Five pairs of eyes followed her movements.

"No one knows." It was Shell's voice, and Elphaba stopped to direct her attention to her brother, but it was Glinda who continued with the explanation.

"He started coming to the Ministers' sessions during open days, and his opinions during questioning time became quite popular." The sour expression adorning Glinda's face left no doubt as to which were her real feelings for The Emperor. "All of a sudden he became part of the opposing party, and a popular part at that. A couple of months later, and by public demand, elections were held and he was elected. No one seemed to care about his past or his whereabouts. He was popular, so…" Glinda said the last part looking pointedly at Elphaba.

"So you were removed from office and he anointed himself Emperor." Elphaba finished for her.

"Well, actually, I supported the idea of choosing a new ruler. I was never supposed to stay in charge." Glinda said. "I didn't feel like I was doing any good for Oz in that Palace," the blonde woman sounded quite ashamed, "but I always thought one of the worthy Ministers would be elected. I never thought he would be the one to take the job." Her eyes turned towards Elphaba once again, and then she eyed the rest of the group pleadingly. "If I had known the little progress we had made during those months would be whipped out, I would never had left." Glinda was trying to digest the fact that, once again in Oz, the government was murdering people, and she could have prevented it.

"Considering his actions, Glinda, I doubt very much he wouldn't have found another way to the higher seat. Even if you hadn't made the movement easy for him." Shell was kneeling beside her, trying to lighten the blonde witch's mood. "I've met the man, and he is a rotten bastard."

"Yes, but still…" Glinda turned her eyes to the two ex-prisoners who had lost a friend and had been held in Southstairs god knows for how long, and a pang of guilt hit her again.

"You were doing what you thought was right," it was Elphaba's voice, "and no one blames you for that." She said looking intently in the blonde woman's eyes, and Glinda kept her gaze fixed on Elphaba, wanting to believe her friends' words.

"Damn straight!" Mali said. "The only person to blame is that bloody man. His actions, his responsibility!"

Glinda looked kindly at the two women sitting in front of her, and once again was overwhelmed by a feeling of gratitude. These women not only had helped her in her time of need, they also didn't held her responsible for something that, in Glinda's opinion, was pretty much her fault.

"This takes us back to the question of what are we going to do now?" Liir said, talking for the first time since the reunion had started. "The Emperor has ordered search parties all over Oz to find the book, so I think maunteries and such places that give shelter to people in trouble will be the first stops of the Gale Force."

Elphaba nodded her agreement. "Do you know anything else about his plans?" She asked, trying to convey in her tone how much she appreciated his help.

"Those are the last orders I received from my Captain. After that, I read a private message from the Emperor telling Captain Taldin to eliminate any loose ends. That's how I knew they were in grave danger." Liir looked over to the pale looking blonde witch. "He ordered your assassination, Lady Glinda, and I don't have any doubts that he would have done the same had you tried to oppose him when he was elected."

Glinda tried to recover from the shock of hearing once again that someone had ordered her murder; she smiled warmly at Liir for his words, letting him know she appreciated his efforts to ease her guilt.

Suddenly, Glinda stood as if shook by lightning, her still weakened state making her fall back on the coach, her head spinning dizzily. Elphaba was by her side in a heartbeat, taking her hand and looking worriedly into the ashen face of her friend. "What is it?" She asked.

Glinda tried to open her eyes, but every time she tried she felt as if she was on a merry-go-round. She spoke with her eyelids tightly closed. "The book," those were her first anxious words. She had been so absorbed in all the recent events that she had all but forgotten about the reason why all of them were being chased, "and Kiilt." The last words were no more than a chocked whisper, poor faithful Kiilt. She still was the same self-absorbed girl from all those years ago after all. She hadn't even worried about the boy until now. Her right hand went to her temple once more, the splitting headache seemed to be back in full force, and in the middle of all that jumble of feelings and thoughts, she felt the squeeze of Elphaba's hand on her own.

"Both the book and the boy are safe, Glinda." The green witch's words tried to reassure a shaken Glinda, who after a while dared open her eyes again, thanking Lurline when the room stood still and the dizziness disappeared.

"Are they?" She asked with hope-filled eyes.

"Yes, they are back at Kiamo Ko. The boy arrived to the Castle a few nights ago. I believe he had the scare of his life," she said remembering the welcome she had bestowed upon the boy, "but he was safe when I left. He was the one who told me about what had happened."

"I didn't know what else to do." Glinda sounded uncertain as a small child, no trace of the strength of Lady Glinda showing on her features. "I thought it would be safe at Kiamo Ko, that no one would think about searching for it in there. Why would they? You weren't supposed to be there, so I thought, I just thought…"

"It was a good idea Glinda." When the blonde witch looked at Elphaba with doubting eyes, the green woman insisted. "It was. If I hadn't been there, the boy would have hidden the book and no one would have been any the wiser. But," she softened her tone a bit, "I was there. And if having you out of that hideous place means that I'll have to fight the Emperor, so be it. It's a small price to pay."

Glinda still looked unconvinced, and her head was killing her. Elphaba and the rest could see it plainly in her face. And truth be told, Elphaba's burns weren't making things any easier for her either.

"I think we should call it a night." She said addressing them all. "I know we haven't reached any important decisions, but they'll keep until morning." Drowsing faces nodded all around her. "We'll decide what to do come the morrow."

One by one the occupants of the room left, saying their good nights. Most of them with more questions added to the already long list of unanswered ones they had. Elphaba tended her hand to Glinda who was still nursing her left temple. "Come on, some sleep will help with your headache."

The blonde woman nodded and took hold of the offered hand. She let herself be pulled upright and be led gently towards the cell they shared. Walking in silence through the mauntery's empty halls some of Elphaba's words came rushing back to her.

"Tell me you didn't scare him too badly. He's still a child." Glinda said in a reproving tone.

"Of course I didn't." The blonde witch relaxed a bit at Elphaba's words. "Not too badly."

"Elphaba!" Glinda couldn't help but smile after hearing that devious cackle her friend seemed so fond of.

_To be continued…_


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Authors Note**: Please don't hesitate in pointing out any mistakes that you may spot, I would appreciate it ;)

Feedback is very welcome: good, bad or in between...

* * *

_As promised, here I am again. I haven't taken another year to update; I'm trying to compensate for my lack of updates during all that time ;)_

_I want to thank all the people who have read the story, and specially those who have taken the time to comment it. I really appreciate your words and your time. So, thank you!_

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**Chapter 25 **

The walls of Kiamo Ko stood darkly in the middle of the Forest, a dampness hung around the Castle making it almost impossible for the two occupants to forget about the pouring rain that had been falling in the area for almost a week now.

Kiilt was restless, as he had been since the night Elphaba left the Vinkus to go to the Emerald City, and there wasn't a thing the young butler could do except wait. That's what he had being doing since then, waiting.

"Do you think they are alright?" He asked Chistery, not leaving his place by the window. He had spent most of his time at Kiamo Ko posted in front of that window, and Chistery didn't mind answering the question for the umpteenth time. The Monkey knew the boy was worried sick about Lady Glinda; Chistery himself was starting to worry about her mistress as well, but he didn't see the need to add to the young man's anxiousness.

"I'm su…sure they are alright, Master Kiilt." The Monkey said while going around the Great Hall doing everyday chores that needed to be done. The Castle was an old place, and ruinous enough without helping it by not taking care of such tasks. "Miss Elphaba will be ba…back in no time. We just have to wait."

"But it has been nearly a week, something must have happened. She should have been back by now. Don't you think?" He answered without even looking at the Monkey. The Grimmerie safely pressed against his chest. The book had been with him at all times since that night. Both Lady Glinda and Miss Elphaba had insisted on how important it was to keep the book out of The Emperor's hands, and he wasn't going to lose it from sight until the two witches told him it was safe.

Chistery eyed the young man in front of the window, and sighed. If Miss Elphaba didn't make it back soon, the boy would go to waste with worry. He had barely eaten anything of what the Monkey had cooked for the past week. And the shadows beneath his eyes were getting more and more pronounced each passing day.

"Perhaps I shou…should go take another look." Chistery said, going towards the window that had become Kiilt's favorite place in the Castle. "Maybe they are on their wa…way back but the rain is delay…delaying them."

Kiilt nodded his agreement. "Yes, maybe that's it. The rain." He tried to believe it, but something told him the rain had nothing to do with the two Witches absence. "It would be good to keep an eye out for soldiers, too. There's only so much I can see from here. We should be prepared in case we have to run." Chistery looked at him as If not knowing what he was talking about. "I mean, if Miss Elphaba isn't back soon, maybe we should consider leaving the Castle for a safer place. To keep the book protected in case The Gale Force comes looking for it."

The Monkey nodded unconvinced, not really liking the idea of abandoning the Castle, not one bit. "I'm sure it won't be necess…necessary. But I'll be alert."

His words seemed to have a calming effect on Kiilt, whom seemed relieved now that they were making plans to be prepared in case of any eventuality. Chistery left him there, looking out of the window into the vastness beyond the castle's walls. The Monkey knew his incursion wouldn't be of any help, if Elphaba didn't want to be seen, she wouldn't be seen. But at least for the sake of keeping the boy calm, he'll give it a try.

"I'll go fir…first thing in the morning." Chistery said before retiring to his quarters. But Kiilt didn't even seem to hear him, his eyes fixed again into the dark night outside.

_To be continued…_


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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_**I uploaded two new chapters on this update, so be sure to read Chapter 25 before this one!**_

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**Chapter 26 **

Shell was trying to sleep, but the task was turning out to be a nightmare. His cellmate kept rolling around in his bed some feet away from him, and a piteous sigh was heard every so often, making it almost impossible for the man to get the rest he so desperately needed. Seeing how sleep was not to come, he decided to do the next best thing that came to mind. That was, satisfy his curiosity and try to get the boy talking about Elphaba and their time together at Kiamo Ko. Shell was almost certain the boy was related to her sister, but he needed some sort of confirmation. _After all, the boy does not have her green skin; maybe I'm just getting ahead of myself. _

Not knowing how to broach the subject tactfully, he resorted to the easiest way to break the ice in this kind of situations. "Liir, are you asleep, boy?" His voice was met with the sudden stop of movement from the other bed; Shell had to smile in the darkness, the boy hadn't known he had been awake too, listening to his unrest.

"Yes." That was all Liir answered, and Shell knew that getting him to talk would be an arduous task. He didn't let the curt response dishearten him, though; he had all night if needed.

"You know, when I was a little boy my father used to get mad at me because I had nightmares." Shell started, trying to get the conversation flowing. "It's not that he was a bad man, but he was set on his ways." Shell mused. "Certainly a boy who cried himself to sleep was not something he tolerated very well, hence his annoyance."

"Why are you telling me this?" Asked Liir, a little perplexed by the choice of conversation from Shell.

"It seemed like you were having some trouble getting to sleep, and I was just wondering. I thought, maybe your father was like mine and that's the reason for your restlessness."

Liir didn't comment at first, but finally he spoke. "I didn't know my father." Again, his answer was short and to the point, but this only served to fuel Shell's curiosity, so he persisted.

"I think I had those nightmares because my father often talked about my mother's death. He used to tell me how dreadful it was that his only son had come at the price of his wife's life. Again, I don't think he said those things out of spite. He just missed her and didn't realize that I was just a child." Shell seemed lost in his own memories for a while, but he spoke again just when Liir was starting to think that maybe the man had fallen asleep. "Do you have nightmares, Liir?"

Once again, Liir took his time to answer the question, beginning to see where Shell's line of questioning was leading them. "Everyone has nightmares," he said finally, "mines just happen to be unrelated to my mother, since I don't have one either."

"Not one that you can call mother, you mean." Shell pried.

Liir 's temper flared unannounced. "If you want to ask me something, do so. Otherwise, I would appreciate it if you kept your ruminations to yourself. I'm not a kid that you can coerce for information, ask your sister if you have any questions." The boy's voice lowered with each passing word, the fight leaving his body. "I wouldn't know how to answer them anyway." His lasts words were barely a whisper.

"I'm sorry, Liir." Shell did sound remorseful. "Everything is a bit confusing right now. I thought my sister dead, and all of a sudden I find her alive and completely changed. I don't even know if I would be able to ask her anything given the chance." The man said, thinking out loud. "It's like she's become someone else. She's not the Elphaba I knew."

Liir didn't feel the need to comment again on the fact that this was the only Elphaba he had ever known. Their conversation back in the way to the Mauntery had covered that part at least.

"But I guess you feel just as out of sorts as I do." Shell continued. "After all, you believed her to be just as dead as I did."

Liir didn't add anything to Shell's words, and the man felt the need to speak again, not wanting the conversation to end in such a sour note. "It was Elphaba who offered me comfort when I had those dreams back in my childhood, you know?" He said, trying to make Liir see through his eyes another side of Elphaba. "She would sit with me and tell me stories until I had fallen back to sleep."

This time, an answer did come from the other occupant of the cell. "The only thing she ever cared to tell me was to get out of her sight." Liir said with half-veiled anger, as if he could still hear those words resonating in his ears.

"I'm sorry, boy. I don't know what happened to her, but I'm sorry that you had to suffer because of it." Shell's words were sincere, but Liir wasn't in a receptive mood.

"I'm not a boy." He lashed out.

"You are right." Shell conceded, recognizing that Liir had lived in his short life more than many men in a lifetime. "You are not." And with those words, the conversation was left to rest, as both cellmates tried to do the same.

_To be continued…_

_As always, thanks for reading. I know these two chapters are a bit Gelphie-less, but they'll be back soon. Promise! _


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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**Chapter 27 – Revelations**

Glinda was walking quietly through the mauntery's garden, reflecting on all the events occurred during those past days. Her mind was a jumble of memories, some of which didn't even make any sense to her. It was as if from the moment she had been taken from the Chuffrey's Palace, every recollection had been clouded by fog. Even the most recent events were starting to blur together, making it difficult for the blonde Witch to discern the real events from the nightmares that had been plaguing her sleep for so long now. Such was her state of confusion that, upon waking up in the cell that morning, she had had to take a good look at her cellmate's bed to convince herself that it hadn't been a dream, that Elphaba was alive, in that bed right next to hers.

After an hour of tossing and turning in her own bed, Glinda had to accept the fact that sleep was going to elude her for the time being, so even if it had been incredibly early and she knew she still needed her rest, the blonde Witch had risen, deciding to make it an early morning. Anything would have been better than going over and over again in her head about all those questions that were still unanswered.

So there she was a couple of hours later, somehow refreshed, trying to enjoy her stroll in the gardens. She was already feeling the soothing effect her beautiful surroundings were having on her mind. Glinda's weakened state forced her to take continuous breaks in the wooden benches adorning the garden, and it was in one of those benches where the Superior Maunt found her.

"Good morning, my Lady." Was the Maunt's greeting. "Would you mind if I joined you?"

Glinda looked up warmly at the older woman and shook her head, letting her know that it was alright to sit beside her.

"Of course not, Sister." She said while making room for the Maunt in the bench. "In fact, I very much welcome the company."

The older woman sat next to Glinda, taking notice of the garden and breathing it in before speaking again. "Sometimes I forget how peaceful it is out here."

"Yes." Glinda said, nodding her agreement. "It is very soothing, helps to clear one's mind." She added.

"Did you have a rough night, my Lady?" The Superior Maunt looked at Glinda with worry. "The Sisters have told me you were up before daybreak."

The blonde woman smiled again, trying to mitigate the Maunt's worry. "I'm afraid I must have gotten used to sleeping in the cold, hard floor, Sister. The comfort of the bed made sleep difficult for me tonight." She lied, not wanting to worry the Maunt any further with her problems. "I'm sure I'll get used to it again, though. It's easy for us to get used to the good things in life, don't you think so?" She asked, not really expecting an answer from the other woman.

The Maunt nodded, pensively. "Maybe that is why we miss them so when they are taken from us. It's so easy to grow accustomed to them that we are ever so quick to take them from granted. We should value them more when we have them, instead of mourning them when they are gone."

Glinda eyed the Superior Maunt gingerly, wondering if her comment hid any double-entendre, but she soon realized that the woman was merely stating her thoughts. Her words, however, resounded in Glinda's mind, adding more confusion to her already troubled thoughts.

"Had it been long since you last saw Elphaba, Sister?" Glinda asked, trying to divert the conversation towards less anxiousness inducing topics.

"It has been some years now." The Sister said, seeming lost in her thoughts for a while. "It warmed my heart to see she kept the boy."

The blonde woman was about to question the Maunt about her last comment when the Sister spoke again. "Judging by the way she behaved around him back in the day, no one would have believed he was her child."

Glinda's face blanched abruptly, the Sister's words hitting her worse than a slap would have. Suddenly, all her questions seemed trivial and inconsequential. Liir was Elphaba's son. Of course he was, now she could see the resemblance. She cursed herself for having been so obtuse. The clues had been there for her to see from the beginning, but she hadn't wanted to see. The prospect of it being true had hurt too much to even have considered the possibility.

"Are you alright, dear?" The Superior Maunt laid her hand on Glinda's forehead, trying to assess her temperature, mistaking her paleness for illness. "Do you want me to call for Sister Doctor?" The Maunt added worriedly when she didn't get any reaction from the blonde woman. "Should I call Sister Aelphaba?"

Glinda seemed to regain her mental functions at the mention of Elphaba's name, and she shook her head in answer. The color coming back slowly to her face. "I'm alright, Sister." She said, patting the Maunt's hand gently, trying to ease the older woman's worry. "I think I may have overdone it. I should have listened to my body when it told me not to get up this morning." Glinda accompanied her words with a smile, trying to add some humor to a situation that, for her at least, was far from humorous.

The Superior Maunt smiled back, even though she had the impression that the woman sitting next to her was anything but alright. She was sure she was missing important bits of this story, but she knew it wasn't her place to ask. Somehow she had the impression that, once again, she had already said too much. _Was it possible that Sister Aelphaba's friends hadn't known about Liir?_

The older woman looked around a bit uncomfortable, not knowing how to continue the conversation. She exhaled a sigh of relief when she saw the party approaching the bench where they were sitting. "Looks like your friends have finally decided to join you, Lady Glinda." The Maunt said while standing, nodding in the direction of the newcomers.

"Brilliant." Said Glinda disgruntled, observing her companions as they made their way to them. Her eyes focused on Elphaba, who couldn't help but feel that something was terribly wrong with Glinda, the hurt reflected on the blonde's blue eyes sending a chill down Elphaba's spine.

_To be continued…_

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_**In case there's someone still around, thanks for reading. I know its taking an awful long time to get the story where I want it to go, and I'm sorry, but we'll get there, promise. I hope you still have a little bit of patience left. ;)**_


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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**Chapter 28 – Dangers Ahead**

Elphaba observed the retreating figure of the Superior Maunt with a pensive air before turning her eyes towards Glinda once again. The blonde Witch seemed intent on avoiding her gaze, so Elphaba had to settle for waiting to know what had caused the troubled look on Glinda's eyes. _The list of things to discuss is getting awfully long_, she thought.

"How are you feeling this morning, Miss?" Mali asked Glinda.

The blonde was all too happy to focus her attention on anyone but Elphaba, so she looked up at the redhead and smiled. "It's Glinda, dear. And I feel much better, thank you." Her eyes wandered through the faces of the rest of the group. "How about you?" She asked."Have you all enjoyed a good night of sleep?"

Her question was met with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Lea was the only one to voice an answer. "Ozness yes, I hadn't slept this well in months."

"She's not lying either." Added Mali laughingly while she took the seat beside Glinda on the bench. "First thing she said this morning when she woke up was that if the food and beds were this good, she could see herself joining the contemplative life of the Maunts in a heartbeat."

"Contemplating life gets old rather quickly, trust me." Elphaba's somber voice took the smiles away from both of the ex-prisoners' faces, and the group was once again enveloped by silence.

"Well, " Shell began, "I, for one, have enjoyed my sleep. So much so, that I woke up with a clearer mind this morning. I've been thinking…"

"Never a good sign." Glinda added with a smirk that took all the malice from her words.

"Happy to see you woke up in such good spirits this morning, Linn." Shell smiled at her, and Glinda smiled in kind, touched by the fact that Shell would still remember the nickname he had bestowed on her so many years ago.

The memories of that time made her remember the conversation she had had some minutes ago with the Superior Maunt, and the words of the Sister came rushing back to her mind. She couldn't help but raise her eyes briefly towards Elphaba and Liir, who were standing side by side right in front of her.

Shell saw how the smile on Glinda's lips turned into a sad one, the blonde woman's efforts to cover it up failing miserably. He tried to get the conversation, and hopefully Glinda's thoughts, back on track. "Right, so," he began again, "even if it may have been a dangerous endeavour indeed, as Glinda so graciously put it, I have been considering how we should proceed now."

Elphaba, much like his brother, had noticed the shift of emotions behind Glinda's eyes, and though it unsettled her not knowing what was going on, she knew now wasn't the time to address that subject. "What do you suggest we do?" She asked her brother instead.

"Well, my first thoughts aren't so much a suggestion as they are a question, really." Shell put his foot on the bench and rested his hand upon his knee, picking absentmindedly at some invisible specks of dust on his trousers. He looked up, to see if all of them were paying attention. "I think we should consider which ones of us are willing to take part in the events that are to come." He said, and when he saw the blank stares on his companions' eyes, Shell elaborated. "What I mean to say is that some of you have gotten into this situation unknowingly, and maybe you should reconsider if getting involved in all this it's a wise idea." The black-haired man eyed the two ex-prisoners intently, until Lea finally realized what the man was trying to get at.

"I can't speak for Mali, but I would like to stay and help in whatever way I can." The brown-haired woman said, searching Glinda and Elphaba's eyes. "I don't really have anywhere to go, and I would like to be able to say that I didn't stand idly by watching how Oz was destroyed by this man."

Mali nodded her head in agreement. "Not to mention the fact that we are fugitives." The redhead said matter of factly. "I know that what is to come is not going to be an easy journey, but as Lea said, I would like to help you if you would have me."

Shell took another look at the faces surrounding him, and not seeing any doubts reflected in the eyes of any of them, he smiled. "Alright then, so now that this matter has been discussed, we should start planning our next move."

"We should stay put for a couple of days more." Liir joined the conversation. "At least until Lady Glinda has recovered some of her strength."

"It's Glinda, and there's no way that's going to happen." The curt response of the blonde Witch interrupted the round of nods from her companions. "We should leave today, the sooner the better."

"Glinda," Elphaba's tone held a warning to it, it was obvious that the black-haired Witch didn't share Glinda's point of view, but before she could voice her disagreement, the blonde woman spoke again.

"I'm sorry." She said. "It might have sounded as a suggestion." Glinda met the eyes of all the members of this peculiar fellowship, stopping pointedly when they reached Elphaba's. "It wasn't. We are leaving today."

"Maybe you should reconsider, Linn." Shell interrupted before Elphaba could voice her opinion. The look on his sister's eyes making it clear that she was about to start a fight with Glinda. Shell thought the blonde woman might feel less antagonistic towards him. "Yesterday you could barely move, and though you are looking better, you are still weak." Shell insisted softly.

"I know I'm still weak, believe me." Glinda sounded tired. "I know all of us could use a couple of days of rest, but I won't rest until I'm sure Kiilt is alright. I put him in this situation; I'm responsible for him. Besides," the blonde Witch continued, "the longer we stay here, the more we endanger the Mauntery and the Sisters."

"Okay, let's take a minute to think this through." Elphaba took a long breath to calm herself and then spoke. "Glinda is right."

"Am I?" The blonde woman asked perplexed.

"Yes." Elphaba said. "The longer we stay, the greater the danger for the Maunts is."

"Well, thank you Elphaba." Glinda was surprised by Elphaba's change of heart, but thankful nonetheless.

"Hold your wand, Glinda." The grateful smile disappeared from Glinda's face as quickly as it had appeared. "I do agree with you on the fact that we are putting these women in danger. However, I also agree with Shell on you still needing to recover before thinking about going anywhere." Elphaba stood there, pensive. "I'll go to Kiamo Ko and make sure the boy and the book are safe." She finally said. "The rest of you should move south, towards the Quadling Country."

Her words were met with silence at first. "I know it's not much of a plan, but right now we should worry about getting as far from the Emerald City as possible." Elphaba said, trying to make her point. "We will consider all possibilities once we have recovered the book."

"There's no way I'm going to the Quadlings." Glinda said rising from her seat and confronting Elphaba.

"You aren't." The raven-haired Witch answered, leaving Glinda dumbfounded once again.

"What? But you said…"

"I said you still needed to recover. The rest should go south, but you are staying here until I make it back from Kiamo Ko. Hiding just one person shouldn't pose much of a problem to the Sisters, whereas six…" Elphaba stopped mid-sentence, giving her own words some thought, "well, let's just say we won't be safe here for much longer."

"I'm not staying here either, Elphaba." Glinda was furious, her words escaping her mouth through clenched teeth.

"I don't think it's a good idea to separate the group." Liir said before Elphaba could say anything to Glinda. "The Vinkus seems like a much better option to me. Not even the Gale Force would dare go into some of those lands; we should stay together."

"We are not going to the Vinkus, end of discussion." Elphaba retorted.

"Why not?" Ventured Lea. "I mean, if Liir says the Gale Force wouldn't look for us there, it should be safe, right?" She added timidly, not wanting to be on the receiving end of a look like the one the green woman was directing at the boy.

"Precisely because not even the Emperor's army would dare go into those lands is why we are not going there." Elphaba said to Lea with a stern face, though not unkindly. "There are dangers beyond our comprehension in those parts of Oz. We are not going there."

"Right." Said Liir sulkingly. "I forgot whatever Elphaba says goes."

Elphaba turned to look at Liir in the face, but Shell spoke before Elphaba could give the boy a piece of her mind. "I have to agree with her on this one, Liir. Some parts of the Vinkus are downright nasty places."

"Thank you." Elphaba said relieved to have at least Shell's support on this. "Look," she said to Liir, "I don't want to be deciding for anyone here, I'm just telling you what I believe to be the best option for us right now." She didn't want to get into a fight with the boy, getting Glinda to agree to her plan was going to be difficult enough without having to add another front to that battle.

"I trust your instincts." Mali said, breaking the silence surrounding them after Elphaba's speech. "If you say Quadling Country is the safest choice right now, then Quadling Country it is." The redhead looked around, trying to assess her companions' opinion as well.

"You are right." Glinda's words surprised everyone, specially the green Witch. She had believed the blonde woman was going to put up a bigger fight than that, she was happy to see Glinda getting on board, though.

"I'm glad you agree." Elphaba said congenially, but Glinda put up her hand, stopping the following words from coming out of the dark-haired Witch's mouth.

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Glinda said. "I agree that going to the Quadlings seems like our best move right now, but don't think for a second that I'm going to agree with your idea of leaving me here." Elphaba was about to protest again, but the blonde woman held up the index finger of her already outstretched hand, and the green woman kept quiet once again. "I'm either going with you to Kiamo Ko, or I'm going by myself once you leave." Glinda crossed her arms over her chest and held Elphaba's gaze defiantly. "Your choice."

It was obious to the taller Witch that Glinda wasn't going to back down, so she simply sighed resigned. "Were you always this pigheaded?" She asked with half a smirk on her lips.

"Yes." Glinda answered, and even though she tried to let it come, the usual answering smirk didn't appear on her lips this time. Her hurt feelings were still very present in her mind. "Only, I used to be much more sweeter about it then."

Elphaba tried to ignore the pain that accompanied Glinda's rebuff. She simply nodded, finally acquiescing to the blonde's wishes. "Alright then. If we are leaving, we should arrange our departure as soon as possible, we shouldn't delay it any more than necessary."

They all agreed, and standing in the Mauntery's gardens they gave the final touches to their plan. Hoping against hope that dividing the group in two was not the mistake Liir had said it to be.

_To be continued..._

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**_That's all for now. More to come this week. Please, let me know what you think, feedback is very helpful. As always, thanks for reading!_**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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_**Double update today, Chapters 29 and 30 are now up. I hope you enjoy!**_

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**Chapter 29 – Campfire Stories**

A moonless night enveloped the forest in darkness. Hundreds of soldiers dressed in the green colors of the Emperor's Guard sat around bonfires to keep the cold at bay.

Captain Taldin was amongst them, chewing his diner more out of habit than hunger. His appetite had all but disappeared these past weeks. Things seemed to be taking a turn for the worst instead of for the better, and Taldin was starting to lose hope of ever making it right. His hands were soaked with innocent's blood and it made him sick, but it was how things worked now. He couldn't refuse the Emperor commands, the consequences if he did were too high a price to pay.

The Captain tried to keep those dark thoughts away from his mind, so he let the voices of his soldiers drift through his sullen mood, hoping that the lively chatter of his men would help lift his spirit.

"That's a lie, Ford." The voice of one of the soldiers sitting closer to the Captain carried to his ears. "How would you know such a thing?"

"I'm telling you, my mom used to work for the Thropps," a younger man, right beside the first one replied, "and she told me how the Witch used to eat little pigeons when she was just a baby," the boy stopped his narration just for effect and looked around him, trying to get the attention from the soldiers sitting by the fire, "alive. The nasty beast didn't care for any other kind of food. I'm telling you, she's an evil creature. Imagine how she must be like now, if she was already that twisted as a child."

"I bet she eats her enemies, now." Another of the younger soldiers said with a mocking tone. "Do you think she'll try some of her magic on us?" He added with a faked shiver.

"Don't be ridiculous, Cal." A serious looking soldier chastised him. "Don't worry, Ford." He said looking at the younger soldier. "She won't even know we are coming. And this time, we'll make sure to put her head on a spike. Oz won't have to worry about that monster ever again."

Taldin eyed his men with an air of pity. They were so eager to believe anything their superiors told them; they were so naïve. He had been just like them not so long ago, naïve and unquestioning. He wasn't that man anymore, he knew what kind of man the Emperor was, and how artfully he lied. Taldin knew that this witch-hunt was all but a farce; The Witch was long gone from Oz.

All this noisy talk about her evil deeds was making him regret having decided to lead this particular search party. But Taldin knew in his heart, even if he was sure that the Witch was dead, that Kiamo Ko was the place to be looking for the book. For some reason he didn't even presume to comprehend, the Captain knew he had to go to that place; he had the feeling that it was the place where he was supposed to be.

His soldiers were still talking, and Taldin, tired of listening to all the nonsense decided to retire to his tent. Once there, lying down on his blankets and somehow sheltered from the voices of the men outside, the Captain let the memory of his little girl warm her rusty heart. He had failed her, he knew, but he was going to make up for it no matter what. A lonely tear went running down his cheek, Taldin's finger weeping it away almost instantly. Tears weren't going to bring Aria back, but he was going to do anything in his power to at least make her daughter proud of whom he was.

With that thought in mind, the Captain let sleep claim him, weird dreams of a distant land plaguing his dreams.

_To be continued…_


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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_**I uploaded two new chapters today, so be sure to read Chapter 29 before this one.**_

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**Chapter 30 – A Strange Finding**

An old horse-cart was making its way through the lonely roads leading to the Quadling Country and away from the Emerald City. Its four occupants were silent, as they had been since they had abandoned the Mauntery that morning, some hours before.

Lea and Mali were in the back, still dressed as maunts, while Shell and Liir had taken the front, passing themselves off as the coachman and his lackey. To anyone who cared to pay attention to them, they looked just like a regular party of maunts going towards the nearest Cloister.

The lone horse drawing the cart, making it a slower ride than any of the fugitives would have liked. But the Superior Maun had lent them the only horse the Mauntery could spare. They were grateful for it too, because when they had discussed their plans that morning, they had believed they were going to make the long way on foot.

Lea observed a pensive Mali, the woman had been immersed in her own thoughts since they had departed the Mauntery. "Are you alright, Mal?" The younger woman asked, startling the redhead.

"I'm fine." Answered the older woman, patting Lea's hand softly. "I was just thinking about how deceived we've been all these years. Miss Elphaba's death seems just like the tip of the iceberg, really. They spread such lies about her, I just wonder what else have we swallowed for truth."

Lea nodded, she herself had been thinking about those same things most of the morning. "She's not how I had imagined her at all." The brown-haired woman said. "All the stories I had heard about her don't make her justice at all."

"That's because you don't know her." Liir said angrily, having heard the women's conversation.

"Oh, I know we don't really know her, dear." Mali nodded, trying to calm the boy. "It's just that," she continued, trying to make Liir see why she had said it, "all I've ever heard about her were horrible things, and now that I've met her…well, she's nothing like what I had expected."

"It doesn't mean she's all rainbows and sunshine either." The boy added, still reluctant to admit anything remotely positive about Elphaba.

"I'm sure she has made her fair share of mistakes, Liir." Lea spoke. "We were just commenting the fact that she's not the monster they made her out to be."

"You don't know that either." The boy insisted.

Both ex-prisoners chose not to comment any further on the subject. It was obvious that Liir held quite a grudge against the green woman, and nothing they said was going to change that fact.

Shell watched Liir's expression, and couldn't help but notice the hurt hiding behind the young man's brown eyes. "As Lea said, she's just a woman, and she has probably done her share of good and bad things alike. Just like any of us."

Liir kept quiet this time, mulling over Shell's word. The other passengers didn't feel the need to say anything else either, so the ride continued in silence. The road taking them far away from the Emerald City, and hopefully away from harm's way.

The yellow brick road kept going for miles and miles, and the landscape changed as they went by. Soon the trees gave way to flatlands where the only vegetation in sight was the tall grass growing on those never-ending planes. The sun was setting on the horizon, and Shell took a dirt road trying to get away from the main road, in hopes of finding a safe place to spend the night away from prying eyes.

They followed the road for a couple of miles, until they found an abandoned stone mill on the side of the dirt path. A rapid stream made its way south just behind the ancient looking building. Shell guided the cart to the back of the building, hiding it from view, just in case anyone made its way up the road during the night.

"I think this is a good place to stay the night and get some rest." The dark-haired man said, finally bringing the cart to a stop. "We'll take turns watching the road and the surroundings, that way all of us can catch some sleep without having to worry about unwanted visitors." He jumped down to the ground and stretched his back noisily; almost twelve hours at the reins had left his back sore and aching in places he didn't even knew he had in his body. "Does that sound alright to everyone?" He asked, observing the tired faces of his companions.

His question was answered with a round of approving nods; only Liir voiced his answer. "I'll take the first watch." The boy said, reluctant to go to sleep yet. It seemed it was in those unguarded moments when his memories and doubts tried to sneak up on him. He didn't want to think about Elphaba anymore, and he thought that staying up would be a sure way to keep his mind occupied until sleep came calling him.

None of the others complained about his decision, they simply took the blankets and provisions the Maunts had given them before their departure and went to set camp for the night. Not wanting to get any attention drawn towards their hiding place, they didn't start a fire, taking comfort only from the warm blankets wrapped around their shoulders and the cold food filling their stomachs; the bread and cheese calming their hunger for the moment.

Diner was a silent event, much like the daylong ride had been. It was as if none of them wanted to speak, fearing the talk would lead to the thought it was probably plaguing their minds. They didn't know where they were going or what they were going to do, and talking about it wasn't going to change that fact.

Once diner was finished, Mali, Lea and Shell went to lie down inside the mill, while Liir kept watch outside. It was a full moon, so it was relatively easy for him to see his surroundings without much trouble. The boy decided to walk for a while, his legs still felt cramped after the long ride. He went as far as he could go to explore the area without losing sight of the mill; the boy was just about to turn back towards the stone building when something caught his eye. A big rock a couple of feet away from him picked his interest, so he walked towards the place, noticing, as he came closer, the paint spread over the rocky surface.

He came to a halt when he read what was written on the rock, color draining from his face. "ELPAHABA LIVES!" Said the inscription, and Liir repeated it out loud, the words had left him completely bewildered. _Who could have written this?_ He thought, and the image of Nor flashed briefly before his eyes. _Could it be? Could Nor have written those words? _But Liir shook his head, as if trying to clear it of such preposterous thoughts. It didn't make any sense. _Why would Nor write something like that, and why here of all places?_

"Stop it." He said, not even realizing he was talking out loud. He shook his head again, but he kept observing the green letters shining in the moonlight. _Nor isn't here. You don't even know if she's still alive. And what's more important, even if she is, she doesn't know that Elphaba is alive. _"It doesn't make any sense." He spoke to himself again. It might not even be his Elphaba the one being mentioned, but that name written on green paint over the rock's surface left him wondering.

He took one last look at the inscription before turning back towards the old mill, trying to shake the weird feeling he was experiencing. He was almost halfway back when he noticed glowing lights in the distance, maybe two or three miles away, he couldn't really tell how far they were in the dark. It almost seemed as if the lights were moving, as if…

"Torches." He whispered, breaking into a run almost instantly. Someone was coming up the road, and he had been too immersed in his finding to notice the danger heading towards them. Liir run as fast as he could towards the mill, hoping it wasn't too late for them.

_To be continued…_

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_**As always, thanks to all of you still around and reading. Also, special thanks to those who take the time to comment, it's great to read your opinions, so don't be afraid to give your constructive criticism. I'm a big girl, I can take it, and the story will benefit from it. :D**_

_**Thanks again, and see you in the next update!**_


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters; I'm merely borrowing them for the ride.

**Background**: This story was inspired both by the book and the musical. I took the things I liked better from each one.

**Author's Note**: I apologize profusely for all the language mistakes that I'm sure I have made. English is not my mother tongue and this is my first attempt at writing, so please bear with me ;).

Feedback is very welcome; good, bad or in between...

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**Chapter 31 – Truth Hurts**

"You've been awfully quiet all morning, Glinda." Elphaba spoke after what, to her, seemed like days of journey. The silence between them was making her uneasy. "Is something the matter?"

Glinda spared a look towards her friend but didn't answer the question. She merely shook her head and tightened her lips, trying to brush off Elphaba's question.

They had been walking for hours. The maunts had only been able to spare a cart, and it had made more sense giving it to the other group. Four persons walking away from the Emerald City along the relatively empty roads was bound to draw more attention than a couple of maunts going about some Cluster business in the country. Plus, the fact that both of them could become airborne if need arose made the decision even more logical.

Right now, though, Glinda was regretting that decision with a fierce passion. It was true that they could fly away if needed, but truth be told, she was still extremely weak from her injuries, and staying atop a broom required a certain amount of strength that she didn't feel she possessed quite yet.

The other thing adding to her sullen mood, besides the 'Elphaba subject', was the fact that they had to keep away from the main roads, thus making both witches go traipsing through the wild forest for the last couple of hours, trying to cover as much ground as possible without being noticed during the light hours.

The difficult terrain wasn't helping Glinda's recovery one bit. She was exhausted, and her face must have shown just how very tired she was, because Elphaba had asked in numerous occasions if she needed a break. Glinda had refused time and time again, though.

She was tired, that much was true, but the prospect of stopping seemed even worse than fatigue to her. If they stopped, it would be strange of her to keep up the silence that had accompanied them all morning. At least while they were walking, Glinda had the excuse of still being a bit short of breath because of her convalescence. But if they stopped, Elphaba wouldn't put up with the silent treatment any longer. The green witch was far from being a talkative person, but Glinda was sure Elphaba knew something was up with her. The blonde woman knew that since the talk in the garden that morning, Elphaba had realized something had changed in her demeanor, and she wasn't going to keep silent about it, no matter how much Glinda wanted her to.

They came to a clearing in the woods, and without saying a word, Elphaba stopped. Glinda, who was walking a couple of steps behind, almost crashed into her back. The blonde woman had been so engrossed in her thoughts that hadn't even noticed the figure in front of her.

Elphaba looked down at her face but didn't say a word. The last brush off from Glinda had felt more like a silent lash out than a mere noncommittal gesture, Elphaba was still stinging from that rebuff. It was obvious that the Superior Maunt had said something that had upset Glinda greatly; she knew that. She could even guess what it was that the old woman had said. What she couldn't understand was the reason why Glinda was taking it so hard, and more importantly, why was she refusing to talk about it.

They stood like that for a couple of seconds, neither of them daring break the uncomfortable silence, both holding the other's gaze until Elphaba finally spoke.

"We should take a break." She said, in a tone that made it sound more like an order than a suggestion.

"I'm alright." Glinda lied defensively. She didn't want to stop. She didn't want to talk to her, at least not yet.

"I need to rest for a bit, Glinda." Now it was Elphaba's turn to lie. "The burns in my legs are killing me." If Glinda didn't want to be the reason for a break, Elphaba would give her that much, but the blonde woman needed to rest, and Elphaba would make sure of it.

Glinda's face had become ashen as the hours had gone on, and her blue eyes reflected the tiredness she must had been feeling. Those same blue eyes softened a bit when she heard Elphaba's words, though. She nodded her approval and followed the taller woman towards some stumps and fallen trunks on one side of the clearing.

They sat over the dry wood, trying to keep away from the damp ground underneath their feet. The sun was shinning, but the copious rain that had fallen the previous days had left the terrain flooded in some places.

Elphaba removed some bread and fruit from the small sack the maunts had given them and started preparing their austere meal. The bag also contained some cheese, dried meat and water; much like the bag Liir and his companions had gotten, only with smaller portions. She cut two slices of bread and handed one to Glinda, whom eyed the food warily before coming to the conclusion that, not eating wasn't going to serve any other purpose than making her feel even more tired.

She took the bread and said a soft thank you to Elphaba before lowering her eyes once again. She missed the small smile that appeared on the raven-haired woman's lips upon seeing her inner discussion reflected in her expression. The blonde woman didn't feel the need to start a conversation, so she just nibbled lazily at her bread and looked everywhere but at Elphaba.

The taller woman finished her lunch long before Glinda had, and she used the time to tend to her injuries. She took some of the oils from her bag and put them beside her on the stump's irregular surface. She had said her burns were bothering her mostly to get Glinda to agree to a break but, truth be told, the burns had been stinging for the last couple of miles of their journey. She thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to use the break to take care of them.

Glinda caught the movement from the corner of her eye and observed how Elphaba rubbed the healing oils over her burnt skin. The sight of that beautiful green skin shinning a reddish hue made her remember how those burns had come to be, and suddenly, she was filled with shame. She was appalled by the way she had been behaving all morning.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, almost too quietly for Elphaba to hear. But the other woman did hear it, and she looked up, catching the unguarded look on Glinda's eyes, which were still fixed on the burnt skin.

"I told you. It is okay." Elphaba said softly, rubbing the oil all the way down to her ankle. "I said I would do it again if I had to, and I did mean it."

Glinda shook her head at Elphaba's words. Partly because she felt the sting of tears behind her eyes, but mostly to let Elphaba know that, that wasn't the reason for her apology, at least not the only reason.

"I'm sorry for acting like a spoiled brat all morning." She finally said.

"Ohhh, that." Elphaba smiled, taking the sting out of her words. "That's what that was? I barely noticed, really."

"Right." Glinda looked at her with an amused smile. "I bet the tenth time I refused to engage in conversation you thought that, maybe speech impairment was one of the side effects of those remedies you gave me."

"In fact," Elphaba answered, not loosing the smile. "I think it might be one of the side effects, along with crankiness."

"Really?" The blonde took the good-natured jab in stride. It wasn't a lie, after all. She had been acting like a cranky child all morning.

"Mhmm."

"Well, then you must self medicate a lot, dear." Glinda jested back, and Elphaba's chuckle escaped her mouth before she could help it.

"Indeed." The green woman shook her head in amusement. No matter what, Glinda always seemed to have the upper hand in their repartee. She had missed those moments more than she could say.

"I know about Liir." Glinda finally addressed the subject that had been hanging around them since that morning.

Elphaba didn't look up. She kept rubbing the oils over her calves, trying to make the stinging ache go away, but mostly, trying to regroup herself for the conversation ahead. She finally put the lids back on the bottles and put them away in her leather bag. No matter how much more oil she put in her skin, she knew it wasn't going to ache any less than it already did. At least, after the ointment, the pain was more bearable.

She looked up slowly, and found Glinda's eyes looking at her. Elphaba would have loved to see the smile still in her friend's features, even a bit of anger would have been fine with her, but instead, she found an expressionless Glinda observing her. She didn't know how the blonde woman was feeling or what she was thinking, and that unsettled her.

"I know he's your son." Glinda finished.

Elphaba recoiled a bit from Glinda's words. She didn't recoil because the other woman's words had been said mean spiritedly; she knew Glinda was just stating a fact. It wasn't that. It was the simple fact of hearing those words out loud which gave her pause. Those words referring to Liir and her. _My son. _She thought. _Funny how Glinda saying those words made them so much more real._

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Glinda's voice took Elphaba out of her reverie.

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking how real it seems when you say it." Elphaba said, not being able to help voicing her thoughts.

"Wasn't it real before?" Glinda asked dumbfounded, not sure about what Elphaba was getting at.

"It was, very much so. Only…" Elphaba didn't try to look away; she held Glinda's eyes trying to make her understand.

"Only what, Elpahaba?"

"Only, I didn't let myself think about it. I didn't let myself acknowledge the fact." The green Witch said, still holding Glinda's gaze. She had to make her understand.

But Glinda didn't understand, she couldn't. She didn't want to understand what Elphaba's eyes were trying to tell her.

"It hurt too much, Glin." Elphaba finally said, and a lone tear escaped Glnda's eye when she heard those words.

She couldn't feign ignorance anymore. She couldn't blissfully hide from the truth that Elphaba's words unveiled.

"Fiyero's?" That was the simple question that left the blonde's lips, and even though she already knew the answer, she needed Elphaba to say it. No, that wasn't true. What she really needed was for Elphaba to deny it, but she knew it wasn't to be.

"Yes."

That single word hurt like a million daggers thrown her way, ripping the flesh from her bones. Glinda didn't really understand why it hurt so much to know that Liir was Fiyero's son, but it did. It filled her with so many emotions that she didn't let herself speak for fear of what she might say. She was furious. She felt such fury, hurt and anger; she didn't even have the words to describe her feelings in that moment.

She felt disappointed, once again in her life. She should have been used to it by now, but she wasn't. It still hurt as much as the first time. Ginda felt empty, but most of all, she felt betrayed by the only person she thought would never betray her.

Elphaba didn't try to justify herself; she didn't try to say anything else. The myriad of emotions that went through Glinda's face was enough to left her speechless. When the blonde woman stood and walked away quietly, she didn't dare follow.

_To be continued..._

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_**Sorry for the update delay, and as always, thank you for sticking around and commenting. I won't make any promises as to when will I update next because I always seem to break those promises, but I can promise I'll try to upload a new chapter soon. In the meantime, you can follow moodified on twitter for instant update alerts. Thanks again!**_


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